


The Main Attraction

by AshenStatic



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Astral Projection, F/M, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I just joined this website, It'll make sense then, Look it Up, Nightmares, that's what's going on with the whole dream stuff, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2018-10-22 16:26:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 53,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10700724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshenStatic/pseuds/AshenStatic
Summary: When your friend Alex ropes you into working at a haunted house, you are anything but pleased. Horror has never sat well with you, and now you're having issues adjusting to your new job. To make matters worse, petrifying hallucinations wait to pounce whenever the air goes out, and now a broken down animatronic seems to have taken an interest in you. Needless to say, you're going to have a lot of trouble getting to sleep.Also on Quotev under the same username.





	1. Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It begins.

             Your first reaction was to scream. The second was to suck in air once your head rose above water.

 

             "Karen, you  _bitch!"_ came your reaction, your voice laced with laughter. A splash signaled that your friend had jumped into the pool to join you. A smile spread across her face once she rose to the surface.

 

            "Love you too, _____~"

 

            "Karen," you began, removing a few stray wet hairs from your face. "You know we have to get back out now, right?"

 

            Your friend's smile dropped immediately. "Aww, but we just got here!"

 

            "Yeah, to watch the frigging sunset, not to be pushed in the pool! Now I have to change to new clothes and dry my hair- oh, and on top of that, mom keeps calling me about getting to work early." The second Karen began pouting, you rolled your eyes. "That's not gonna work, K. My cousin Jacob makes that face all the time." You poked her nose. "I'm immune."

 

            The other girl sighed. "Fine, whatever..."

 

            The two of you exited the pool and grabbed a pair of towels, finally beginning to prepare for the night. "What time do you have to be there, anyway? It's already, like, eight."

 

             With a sigh, you plugged in the blow dryer and switched it on, raising your voice so you could be heard. "I have to work the stupid night shift at that new haunted house opening up soon, Faz-whatever."

 

            Karen perked up, giving you a wide eyed look. "Fazbear's Fright?"

 

            "Yeah, that's it!" A smirk found its way onto your face. "Alex told me all I needed to do was help him set everything up, but he practically  _begged_  me to watch the place for a few weeks. Something about the wires and whatnot." Once your hair was only slightly damp, you shut off the hair dryer. Turning to face your friend, you realized she had that classic 'kid in a candy store' look.

 

            "Oh no."

 

 

            "You're..."

 

 

            "Nono _karenpleasedon't-"_

 

 

_" **You're working at the new haunted house!!** " _A groan escaped your lips. Here we go again, you thought. Karen was an avid horror fan. Instead of growing up on Disney Princesses, she was accompanied by monsters from Silent Hill and Resident evil. You wouldn't think it just by looking at her, but then again, looks can be deceiving.

 

            As Karen continued to ramble on about how awesome your job was and how you'd have to give her a discount, you stood and began searching your closet for a new set of clothes. Alex had left a uniform for you since he liked to try and be professional, but you still needed to find it in the cloth-filled abyss.

 

          Going through each article of clothing, you finally found the light blue shirt and black dress pants that made up your uniform. Grabbing a black cap to add effect, you gathered up the clothes and continued to ignore Karen as you strode towards the bathroom. Hopefully this job wouldn't turn out too terrible.

 

 

***

 

 

            You pulled out your set of various keys, and finding that oh-so-special one, unlocked and opened the door. You immediately took  note of how certain lights were still on, giving the place an eerie feel. A scoff was the first reaction.

 

            "His electric bill is gonna be  _so high_..."

 

            You began to walk through the area, following the spooky halls to find the spot you would be watching things from. Not that there was anything to watch. The whole thing was just lighting and shells of the former animatronics. It seemed like a ripoff, really. Nevertheless, the creepy atmosphere sent chills down your spine. Karen may be a horror fanatic, but you were the complete opposite. It was one thing to set the place up during the day, but when you had to watch it the whole night...

 

            You decided that after tonight, you're  never coming back here, no matter how much Alex begs of you to stay.

 

            After a few minutes of your mind going through every bad scenario that could happen within the walls, you reached a rather large window, which provided a nice view into the next room. By the looks of it, this would be your so-called 'office'. Sighing again, you stepped past the creepy bear statue and through the doorway, taking the time to relax in the cushiony chair and trying to take your mind off the creepy feeling you got in the hallways.

 

            The phone suddenly rang, making you jump. While trying to find the receiver, you discovered that the phone wasn't a phone at all. It was an answering machine, and it had just begun playing the message Alex had left for you. Something about things being more interesting and some other 'relics' he had found for the place. You were about to tune him out when something caught your attention.

 

_"-then_ past  _you, and then out the exit. Uh, yeah, you've officially become part of the attraction. You'll be starring as... A security guard! So not only will you-"_

 

            "Woah, woah, woah,  _hold the fucking phone._ I'm a  _what now?!_ " This certainly was  _not_  something you agreed to.

 

_"-or makes out it the corner, hehe, but you'll also be part of the show. It'll make it feel really authentic, I think."_ You groaned as loudly as possible. Leave it to Alex to drag you into something without asking you first.

 

            Since there was nothing you could say to him, you settled for listening to the rest of the annoying message. Alex told you how they had found a few more items, including a Foxy head. You had already noticed the desk fan when you walked in, but Alex had put it in the message anyway. When he began to transition again, saying how he might have to dress you up in a furry suit, you groaned even louder than last time. This night was taking a turn for the worse.

 

            "Alex, I swear, the next time I see you, I'm gonna strangle you." Without warning, the message began to explain the new setup, and for the first time, you noticed a panel embedded in the wall. It had a small blue button that, when pressed, opened the panel, showing you the new camera system. Closing the cams, you looked to your far left to see what Alex said was true. Flipping up the other panel, there was a set of buttons that would allow you to reset the audio system, the camera system, and strangely, the ventilation. You could also choose to reset all of them, but for now, you settled for exiting out all together.

 

            "-trying to make this place vintage, we may have overdone it a bit. Ehehe... Y-Yeah, some of this equipment is barely functional... Y- I wasn't joking about the fire. That- That's a real risk..."

 

            You face palmed. "Jesus Christ, Alex..." The word 'important' caught your ears as Alex began to explain the ventilation, saying that you'd probably start seeing things if the system goes offline. This only added to the pile of shit you hated about your life.

 

            The message ended, officially leaving you alone for the rest of the night. Glancing at your wristwatch, you discovered that it was already four in the morning. "Damn, that guy can talk..." With another sigh, you opened the camera panel. Switching from room to room, you couldn't help but notice the ungodly amount of static the system produced. Great, you thought. Another thing for the shit pile.

 

            You switched to the vent cams. Upon doing so, you noticed small text on the side, telling you how to seal a vent. Why on earth would you need to do that? There's no one here but you, and if anyone  _did_  show, then they'd have to deal with a  _very_  angry night guard.

 

            Switching back to the hall cam, you pressed the audio button to see what it would do. A child's voice played, laughing as if it was mocking you. "Oh, lovely. Creepy kid voice. I hate it already." You closed the panel and sat back in your chair. Another glance at your watch revealed it was about to be six. Releasing a deep breath, you stood up and exited the room.

 

            Upon hitting six am, the office let loose a chime, complete with the sound children cheering. It was probably to lift your spirits, but after tonight, it didn't do much.

 

 

            "Maybe I'll end up cheering too. Probably when I'm done with this job," you muttered bitterly.

 

 

            You went through the nearby exit and locked the door, climbed into your car and began driving home. After a while, you finally reached your driveway. Letting your mind go blank after being awake for more than ten hours, you didn't even feel like complaining to Alex about tomorrow.

 

 

             _I'll just have to deal with working the dumb night shift_ , you thought, collapsing into your bed. Before you could even register that you were still wearing your uniform, your eyes had shut. Blissful sleep began to take you, and all your worries melted away. You'd probably bring something to entertain you next time. Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad after all...

 

 

***

 

 

            You pulled up to the attraction again. This time, you wouldn't be so tired. You had slept through the the entire day, making your eight o' clock dinner a nice wake up call. You had spent the next hour talking to Karen over the phone. She had demanded to know what it was like working at a haunted house, and what you told her wasn't too thrilling. Either way, she was still excited for you. So much so, that you ended the conversation early and ended up spending the next two hours screwing around online while your uniform was in the wash. Now you were here, getting ready for your next shift.

 

            You unlocked the door again and swung it open, completely missing the figure standing in the corner. After closing the door, you turned around.

 

             _"SHIT!"_ You backed up against the wall as your heart leapt into your throat. You had to stand there to a few seconds before you realized the thing wasn't moving. Taking a deep breath, you edged closer to the figure, finally taking in the details.

 

            It was a golden rabbit, very old by the looks of it. There were many holes and exposed wires, and one of the ears was partially broken off. Looking up to see its face, you realized how tall it was, and what you saw made it even worse. Its mouth was locked in an eternal smile, the face around it littered with scars. The most terrifying part was its eyes, which were pointed directly at you, staring right into your own.

 

            With a shiver, you backed up, grateful that its gaze didn't follow you. Turning around, you ran through the hallways, wanting to get as far away as possible from the creepy robot. Once you reached your office, you leaped into your chair as if it would get rid of the bad things in the building.

 

            "Calm down," you told yourself. "I-It's just a robot... I bet it doesn't even work!" With another deep breath, you began to calm down right as the answering machine rang. You felt safer once you heard Alex beginning to talk about some vintage audio tapes he had found. For a moment, you thought you heard footsteps over the message, but you put that out of your mind once Alex had moved on.

 

            _"Ha, you're not gonna believe this! We found one. A_ real _one. O-Oh, uh, hey, I gotta go. I-It's in there somewhere, I'm sure you'll see it."_

 

"Oh, I've seen it alright..."

 

             _"I'll just leave you some of this sweet audio I found. Later!"_ Not even a few seconds later, a different voice began to play, going on about the animatronics at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Not wanting to listen to something you didn't need to, you hit the mute button...

 

            ...just in time to hear footsteps. "Great. I left the frigging door open, and now someone got in," you whined. Pressing the blue button to your right, you switched through each camera, only to find nothing. Just the rabbit in the corner of the entrance. Not wanting to take chances, you stood up from your chair and went to check the hallways. It took you a good seven minutes to check everywhere, but there was no one hiding behind any of the props. It turned out that the door locked by itself, even after unlocking it from the outside, making it impossible for anyone to enter.

            Before heading back to the office, you gave the golden bunny a quick glance. Just knowing it was there was enough to send chills down your spine. Because of that, you ended up running back to the safety of your chair once more.

            Back in the comfort of the leathery upholstery, you checked the cameras just to be sure. Seeing nothing allowed your nerves to settle just a bit more. You let loose a sigh of relief, telling yourself to stop worrying about nothing.

 

            "It's that fucking rabbit, I bet..." You had been trying to figure out what had set you so on edge, and now that you were able to pin it on something, relaxing seemed just a little bit easier.

            Your heart finally settled as you sat back and pulled out your 3DS. You tapped on the game you had brought, grateful for the assorted pixels that would take you away from this horrible place...

 

***

 

            It hadn't even reached three am before an alarm went off in your office. The flashing red lights and blaring sounds had surprised you, and you had accidentally dropped the handheld gaming system.

 

            "Ohgodohgodohgod-" Through the shock and surprise, you hurriedly opened the camera panel, thinking someone had gotten in again. Before searching the building, you discovered a flashing red message in the upper left corner.  _Ventilation Error._

Immediately remembering the warning from Alex, you exited the cameras, spinning around to check the systems.

            Without warning, what looked to be another animatronic leaped at you from the corner, it's voice box screaming murder. You flinched backwards, responding with your own scream as you automatically shielded yourself with your arms.

            You sat frozen in fear for a moment before opening your eyes. To your dismay, nothing was there. The robot had disappeared, leaving only the sound of sirens. You shakily lowered your arms, only to notice that you were now hyperventilating. With slight hesitation, you opened the systems panel and hit the reset button.

            It was no surprise that the system took a few seconds to reset, but that was the least of your concern. Having curled up in a ball, you tried to stop shaking.

 

             _What the hell was that?! God, don't tell me_ that's _what I see when the air goes offline!!_

 

This job was getting to you. Taking a glance at your watch didn't help either. It was only 3:04, meaning you still had another three hours. You set your head in your hands, taking deep breaths to try and calm yourself. Surprisingly, it had started to work. Your heart rate was still up, but now the shivers were gone.

            A great big sigh was released as you stood. Barely remembering to pick up your 3DS, you knelt down, taking the small electronic in your hand. Rising from the ground, your other hand went to your face. You didn't deal too well with stress, and this job would probably give you nightmares, but now you were stuck. You had agreed to do this, and you never went back on your word. A sigh was imminent as you realized you had just contradicted the thoughts you were having last night.

 

             _No turning back now,_  you thought, finally lifting your head.

 

            You froze. No screams, no flinching, just a complete lack of motion. The only sound you could hear was the beating of your heart as you focused on the horrifying view in front of you.

            There, standing on the other side of the glass, was the golden rabbit. It's eyes bore into you, taking in every detail as it examined you from the hall. The fact that it was still smiling made the realization even worse. This thing had been alive from the very beginning, and now it had come for you.

 

            "Nǹi͢G̀h͞T̷ g͟U̷arD҉d̵d҉.̸.." Your breath hitched when it spoke. How the hell could this thing even talk, let alone move??

 

            "Wh...Wha-" The animatronic suddenly slammed a hand against the glass, making you jump out of your skin. Without meaning to, you dropped your game and squeezed your eyes in fear again. Realizing you shouldn't have taken your eyes off the rabbit, you snapped them open, expecting to see that predatory smile again. However, the space behind the glass was empty. Regardless of this, your nerves refused to settle. There was no way that was a hallucination. The fact that the glass had scratches from its hand proved that.

            You cursed under your breath and popped the system panel, making sure the ventilation hadn't messed with your head. Next, you popped open the camera panel, frantically searching for where the rabbit may have gone.

            Something flew across the room, stopping right behind the cameras. Before you could register what was happening, a golden hand slammed the panel down, the broken face of the rabbit coming within inches of your own.

             ** _BAM_** _ **!**_ Without thinking, you had socked the thing right in the face and sent it reeling backwards into the desk.

 

             _"FUCK!"_  You cringed and cradled your delicate hand, having forgotten the rabbit was made from some sort of metal.

            A low growl emitted from the animatronic as it turned its hateful gaze back to you, still supporting itself with the table. With lightning speed, the bunny lashed out to grab you, but you had already made a beeline for the doorway. Remembering there was an exit right outside your office, you tried the door, only to increase your fear by discovering it was still locked. Not giving the door a second thought, you ran the opposite direction, hoping to escape the thundering footsteps racing towards you.

            The animatronic had set its sights on you, and now it was giving chase. It knew the building wasn't that big, that you would run out of places to flee soon enough. Nevertheless, it continued after you, the grin plastered on its face seeming much more genuine now.

            You rounded a corner and continued to run. Even with the sudden screech and crash that resounded from behind, you didn't falter. You had never seen a full horror movie, but even  _you_  knew better than to stop and glance back.

            Taking advantage of the delay, you rushed into the next room and ducked behind a statue prop. The creaking of joints could be heard as your pursuer  rose from its crashing point and began running in the direction it last saw you go. Once the rabbit had gone, you took a small moment to check your watch. 4:18

 

            _Ok, ok, two more hours. I-I think I can make it..._

 

            You poked your head out from your hiding place, making sure the golden animatronic wasn't coming back before gingerly tiptoeing across the room and into the hallway. A large canvas of wood in the corner caught your eye. Perhaps you could wait out the rest of the night.

            Crawling behind the plank, you realized it was just large enough to keep you hidden if you stayed in a tight ball. You took a few deep breaths to try and calm the jackhammer in your chest and mentally prepared yourself for whatever might happen next.

 

            Time had passed. You weren't sure how much, but you could hear the rabbit stomping through the building, searching for you. Right now, it was slowly stalking through the room you had trapped yourself in.

 

            "L̶itT͜Le̡ ͢gi͞Rl͟," it called. The warped, mechanical voice struck fear in your heart as the sound of heavy footsteps came closer to your hiding spot. "I̴ ̛k͠-k-̧knOW y͏Ou͞R ͝ h̡EEEE͝R̶e͡..̛.̧ ͠Y͝ou ͝c̀ÀN'̕t̴ ̀h̵i͏D̸e f͏Ore͟vĘr͘.̀.." You stayed completely still, knowing that if you made any noise or movement, it would all be over. "C-͘C-҉C̷o҉ME ҉o͘u̡T c҉Om͜e͠ OUt͢ ͘wh̶Er҉EV͏er̛ ̡y̧O̶u aŔe͢e̕ee͠e̕e̢......̧.̴.̸"

            The animatronic stopped, eyes sweeping through the room. If you wouldn't come out, it would have to lure you.

            Watching very carefully, the rabbit suddenly slammed a fist against the wall, creating a loud bang that echoed throughout the hallways. You shifted slightly out of surprise, but had managed to not jump out of your skin a second time. A moment of silence was followed by a perplexed hum from the decrepit bunny.

             After its little experiment, the thing continued to the hallway. Once it was far enough, you released a breath you were holding and ever-so-slowly peeked out from behind the wooden plank. Everything was clear. Quiet as a snail, you stood from your hiding spot and glanced through the doorway. Still seeing nothing, you began heading the other way, still watching for the animatronic.

            Your turned your head to see where you were going, only to have another charred figure run at you. A scream escaped your mouth, but the boy-atleast, you  _think_  it was a boy-had disappeared, leaving you in silence. It dawned on you that the ventilation must have gone out while you were hiding, but that was the least of your worries. The entire building was silent, and that rabbit was sure to have heard your declaration of fear.

             Running into the next room, you desperately searched for a new place to hide when you spotted what appeared to be an air vent. It looked large enough for you to fit. Seeing as you didn't have much time, you didn't hesitate crawling into the square hole.

            You could remember the map of the air vents clear as day and began crawling in what you assumed to be the direction of your office. Trying not to hyperventilate, you traversed through the airway, hoping the animatronic couldn't hear you.

            There was a split in the vents up ahead. As you crawled closer, you knew the one to the left would lead you astray, but you couldn't help taking a glance through it as you passed.

            Mechanical eyes met yours as you could see the rabbit further down the left vent.

 

             _"F̢͝O̴̷U̶̢̨͘͠N̷͡D̶́͜͝ ̸̨͟͟͠Y̨͢O̸̶̷͟͝Ư̶͢!̸̧̛͝!̵̛͜"_

 

            "Oh, fuck."

 

            Having finally located its prey, the animatronic began crawling towards you. Not wanting to find out what would happen, you wriggled through the vent as fast as you could, saying a silent prayer when the light of an exit appeared. One second, you were scrambling out of the hole in the wall. The next, a golden rabbit was on your heels again as you foolishly fled back into the office.

            You stopped in your tracks, finally noticing that you had boxed yourself in. You slowly turned to face the monster that had followed, whimpering as it emitted a dark chuckle.

 

            "N͜Noó ̛wHEr̛E ̢leF͝t ̷t͟O RUn͞, l-l͠-l̡OvE̸..̡.͡" It rushed towards you just as quickly as before, grabbing you before you could even react. The next thing you knew, ice cold hands were around your throat, cutting off your supply of oxygen as you were pinned to the wall. You began struggling and kicking immediately, trying anything to relieve the pressure, but this only made the rabbit squeeze tighter.

            Everything was starting to spin. The lack of air weakened you greatly, making it impossible to fight anymore. Somehow, you found yourself mesmerized by the cold gaze of your murderer. Black began creeping through the edge of your vision as you stared into its eyes, seeing nothing but hatred looking back at you. Before you could wonder why the thing hated you so much, you felt yourself go limp and sank into darkness as death began to take you.

 

            The last thing you heard was the chime of a bell and children cheering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the first ever story I shared online. Bear in mind, this has been previously published on another site, and it has been two years since I first started, meaning it's long over, and I've improved some. Please forgive me if I look back at some of this and cringe.


	2. Deals With Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're already pretty scared, but then you get tired of this rabbit's shit.

            The animatronic released you, letting your body fall to the ground. It was reluctant to let go. You weren't quite dead yet, and it wanted desperately to finish the job...but that wouldn't be fair. The clock had already struck six, signaling the end of your shift. Killing you afterwards would go against the rules of the game.

            The rabbit examined you again. When going by sight, you looked like such a fragile thing, but tonight had proven the complete opposite. You had provided more of a challenge than it had expected, especially with that punch you'd thrown. Unfortunately, after the events that unfolded, you would most likely leave and never come back. The animatronic would be alone again, and it didn't want that.

             It began to think. People would go to great lengths just to retrieve something seemingly insignificant. The small electronic you had dropped earlier wouldn't suffice. You would never risk your life for a lowly game. However...

            The rabbit searched your pockets, eventually taking something small from your possession. It stood and gave you one last look before exiting the office, stalking back to the entrance.

            A dark chuckle was heard as it gazed at the small trinket in its hand. You would  _have_  to come back for this, no ifs, ands, or buts. Without this, you would be in severe trouble, just as anyone else would. After all, being without the contents inside was partially illegal.

            Reassured of your return, the rabbit took its spot in the corner near the entrance. It would wait for you there, just as it had waited to be found. However long it took for you to serve another shift...

 

            ...It would wait.

 

***

 

            Your eyes fluttered as you began to stir. Gradually, your vision returned, revealing you had been left on the floor of your office. Half expecting the golden monster to be there, you tensed up, ready for the finishing blow.

            Nothing happened. Cracking an eye open, you visually searched the room for any signs of danger, only to discover nothing. You were alone.

            Immediately, you hopped up, grabbed your 3DS, and made a break for the exit. You slid into your car and drove off without hesitation, grateful to escape from that death trap of a building, but that didn't stop the terrifying thoughts that plagued your mind on the way home. They refused to leave, even after you pulled up to the driveway and rushed into your house.

            You plopped down on the couch, the chills from last night returning. Wrapping your favorite blanket around yourself did nothing to help the stress-induced shivers. Perhaps a nap would help, though you couldn't help but wonder what dreams last night's events would cause.

            You resembled a poorly wrapped burrito as you trudged through the the house and into the bedroom. Letting the blanket slip to the ground, you searched through the drawers of your dresser and found a pair of comfy pajamas to change into. Before changing, you set your hat down and began removing things from your pockets, checking them off verbally.

 

            "Keys, phone, DS, wallet..." You stalled. ".....wallet...." You glanced down, thinking it had fallen. ".....wallet?" The strange disappearance sent a kernel of fear into your heart as you began to retrace your steps. You were 100% sure you had taken your wallet with you, so where had it gone?

            It wasn't in the house. You checked your car next, thinking it had hidden in the car, but a thorough search proved otherwise. Not even the path up to the front door provided any clues.

 

            Two more hours passed as you frantically searched for your wallet, only to turn up with nothing. You were now pacing in your living room, chewing your nails with anxiety and wracking your brain for where the item could have fallen. Your steps halted as the events from last night came rushing back to you, forcing you to accept the cruel reality.

 

            Your wallet must have slipped out when you were running from the golden rabbit.

 

            "God damn it..." You had to sit down. After the fiasco last night, you had planned to tell Alex off and never go back, but now there was no choice. Your debit card, ID, and drivers license were in that wallet. There wasn't enough energy left in you to just cancel the card and get a new ID and license, but you didn't think you could go through another night of terror.

            Failing to solve the problem, you submitted to the comforting call of your bed and put off the stress for later. Changing into a random pair of pajamas from the dresser, you crawled into bed, trying to lose yourself in the soft fabric of your comforter. Key word, trying. No matter how hard you pushed the stressful thoughts of your wallet away, they kept coming time and time again, mimicking the fear-filled thoughts from the drive home.

            Another hour passed in an attempt to rid yourself of the mental parasites, but luck was not on your side. Sighing in defeat, you stood from bed and gathered your work clothes, tossing them into the washer. Another outfit change, then you grabbed your keys, mentally preparing yourself on the way to the attraction.

 

***

 

            You were on the verge of tears. The building had been searched thoroughly, but your wallet was still nowhere to be found. You only knew of one other place it could be, but that would require a lot of nerve you didn't have. Doing this would be the equivalent of swimming in shark infested waters. You'd have to be extremely lucky to come out with your life.

            Timid footsteps echoed through the halls as you made your way back to the entrance. A rock hit the pit of your stomach once you rounded the last corner and saw the golden rabbit standing watch at the door again. Any speck of nerve you had instantly abandoned you as you slowly approached the robot, stopping a good five feet away. With knees made of jello, you cleared your throat.

 

            "Ahem....Uh...H...H-Hello...Rabbit....Thing......."

 

            No answer. You tried to calm your breathing as you stood up a bit taller. "I...I-I'm looking for my wallet, and, uh.... It's not...It's not in the hallways. Or the vents."

 

            Nothing. The fact that it didn't even acknowledge you after last nights fiasco made you just a little bit angry. You shot it a glare.

 

            "....I know you have it."

 

            Silence filled the air as you continued to glower at the animatronic. You still didn't expect it to shift its gaze from the door. When it did, however, and began to glare right back at you, all your anger was replaced with fear.

 

            Everything was still as the two of you silently engaged in a staring contest. You gulped, barely remembering why you were talking to this thing in the first place.

 

            "Well?.....A-Are you gonna give it back?" Even though every part of your body was screaming for you to run away, you held your ground. The rabbit had already gotten the better of you once, and you weren't about to let it try again.

            To your surprise, the animatronic held out an arm. Clutched in its hand was your wallet.

 

            "Oh..." You gawked at the golden monster, genuinely shocked at its action. "Uh.... Thanks. I guess." A hand reached reached out towards your wallet. Just as you were about to grab it, the robot lifted the item up and out of your reach.

             A moment of stillness followed as you realized what this thing might be doing. You jumped in an attempt to grab your wallet, but the rabbit only held it higher when time you left the ground.

 

            "Nooo, please don't do this..." You sighed, the weight of no sleep heavy on your shoulders.

 

            You jumped again, finding that the item was still held out of reach. Another jump followed as you tried to take what was rightfully yours, and you continued to jump, desperate to take it and leave. Eventually, you grew tired and had to take a moment of rest.

            Anger once again began to build up inside you as you caught your breath. Here you were, confronting the thing that had nearly killed you, and it wasn't even taking you seriously! How  _dare_  it not recognize your determination?!

            Quick as a cheetah, you shoved the animatronic, catching it off guard as it crashed into the wall. Taking advantage of the situation, you snatched your wallet from the robot's hand once it had fallen to the ground. The two of you glared at each other again.

 

            "Thank you." With a curt nod, you turned and walked off, leaving the golden rabbit to its own devices. It eagerly watched as you rounded the corner, your resounding scream a telltale sign that another phantom had jumped you. A second later, footsteps signaled that you were now running, just as eager to finally leave and go home.

            The rabbit let out a dark laugh. Things were taking a surprising turn. It hadn't expected you to come before the sun had even set, let alone confront it and manage to successfully take back your wallet. Sadly, it also didn't expect you to return again. Without collateral, you would most likely abandon the attraction, and it would be alone again.

            With a strange feeling of loneliness, the animatronic stood and returned to its post in the corner, diligently watching the entrance. Only time would tell if you would come back, but this time was different. This time, the rabbit wasn't sure it could wait...

 

***

 

            In the safety of your bed, you groaned as loud as possible. It had already been another hour since you had gotten home, and precious time was wasted staring at the ceiling as you tried to slip into slumber. All your thoughts were buzzing around in your head like a swarm of wasps and kept you from getting some much needed sleep.

            You settled for defeat, sitting upright in the comfortable bedsheets. Why were you so restless? Yeah, you had almost died, but now you were free from the attraction. There was nothing keeping you tied to it but Alex, and he would understand if you told him how jumpy you've been. Everything was fine now, so  _why couldn't you get to sleep?_

Wracking your brain for answers did nothing until you began going back over the events that had happened recently. Each time you remembered anything about the golden animatronic, you were filled with a terrible feeling of frustration. Everything seemed to revolve around that damned rabbit! Why did it have to come after you? Why the hell did it steal your wallet? Can't it just leave you alone?!

            The truth hit you like a tidal wave. Yes...everything  _did_  revolve around the rabbit. You didn't like how it surprised you. It should have been obvious that it was alive due to the footsteps, but you were too stupid to notice until it was too late. When it nearly choked you to death, you didn't like the way it looked at you. It would've had no remorse if the bell hadn't struck six. Not to mention it managed to steal your wallet while you were unconscious. It even messed with you when you worked up the courage to take the item back.

            That rabbit had been messing with you the entire time. It never once took you seriously. The way it picked on you brought back memories of childhood, where kids would bully you and your friends. You didn't like it. Not one bit.

            Once again leaving the comfortable bed, you threw on your uniform and grabbed a snack from the kitchen. You'd have to think about your next move. The animatronic had won twice now, and it was time for a change.

            As you began to plot, a smirk found its way onto your face. You had grown up being scared of many things, and now it had gone too far. It was time to strike back.

 

            Tonight would be the biggest surprise of that robot's life.

 

***

 

            Stepping out of your car, you left everything inside except for your keys and a bag you had brought with you. There was no way you'd make the same mistake again.

            You approached the attraction, taking a deep breath before unlocking the door. There was no telling if your plan would work or not. Success would lift a lot of stress from your shoulders, and you might be able to sleep again. Failure, and...

            With a slight shudder, you pulled the door open, seeing the golden rabbit in the corner again. A second passed as you greeted it with a silent stare before stalking off towards your office. The hallways seemed to disappear as you went over everything in your head again.

            There was only one thing you could come up with, and that was to bring something to defend yourself. Other than that, everything was basically the same. You had, however, figured out what your job as a night guard might entail.

            Sound traveled easily in the open hallways, and you had only been found because of the noise you made in the vents. Because of that, you figured the audio devices and the cameras were to help you watch where the animatronic was and lure it away if needed. Not only that, but you also realized the tip about sealing off vents would be helpful. After seeing how fast that thing could crawl through the air ducts, you knew that would be a valuable asset.

 

             _Funny,_ you thought as you entered your office.  _Everything seems perfectly set up just to help me._

 

            Setting your bag down, you plopped down in the rolling chair once more, mentally preparing yourself for your next shift. Popping the camera panel, you flipped to the entrance cam and noticed something that slightly messed with your nerve. The rabbit was staring at the camera, smiling as if it knew you were watching.

            You sighed, wondering if you were really prepared to do this. You hadn't figured out a way to deal with the freaky disappearing ghosts that kept getting in your face, and there was also the problem with the ventilation. The fact that you could mess up unsettled you, but a deep breath helped calm yourself. This was no time to chicken out.

            A glance at your watch showed the time had hit twelve,  and you glanced at the camera to see if the rabbit was still there. It was.

            You closed the panel and checked your systems, mildly surprised that nothing had shut down yet. The answering machine had started playing the audio Alex had left, but you silenced it immediately.

            With a yawn, you checked the camera again, only to find the nothing. The vent cams showed nothing, so you checked the hallway near the entrance, only to find a white eye staring at you through the screen again.

            Now was your chance to test your theory. Switching back to the entrance, you hit the audio button, a child's voice greeting you with a 'hello'. To your surprise, the camera filled with static for a moment before it cleared up and showed you something unbelievable. The rabbit was now back at the entrance, looking as if it was searching for whoever made the sound.

            A smile covered your face as you let out a small giggle. With confirmation of your theory, you were sure the night would be a breeze. That is, until you saw something in the corner of your eye.

            Exiting the cameras was a bad idea, as you had not expected another animatronic to be creeping down the hall, clearly visible behind the glass window. You stared in shock as the scorched figure suddenly ducked down and out of sight. Not a second later, what looked like a bear with a missing ear jumped at you from nowhere, screaming in your face. You let loose your own scream as you rolled back in your chair, quickly realizing it was a phantom as the sound of sirens brought you back to your senses, reminding you to quickly reset the ventilation.

            Once everything was in order, you quickly checked the cameras and found the golden bunny was missing.

 

            "Ugh, really?" With annoyance on you face, you switched through the cameras. For some reason, it was quite difficult to find the rabbit. That it, until you switched back to one of the arcade cameras and discovered it was hiding in the corner. Probably to throw you off, you realized.

            Without warning, the camera filled with static as a familiar sound echoed in the building. Once the static cleared, you toggled to the vent cams and discovered the rabbit was currently crawling in the air ducts. There was no hesitation as you sealed the way, but you were caught off guard when static filled your view again as a red light flashed in the upper left corner.  _Visual Error._ Not wasting a single moment, you switched back to your systems and hit the reset button, all the while listening for the animatronic that was hunting you.

 

***

 

            The pattern continued well until around three in the morning, when you saw what looked like a clown puppet thing on the screen. Suddenly, the camera panel was pushed shut as the scorched face of the puppet appeared in front of you, it's eyes boring into your own. A scream was imminent, but your fear only grew when the puppet thing wouldn't go away. In fact, it kept following you, blocking your line of sight.

 

             _ **"GO AWAY!"**_  You screamed at it, thinking it would leave. Surprisingly, the puppet ducked down and out of sight, the sound of sirens once again warning you. Once it was gone, you turned to reset the air, but another animatronic jumped at you from the corner of the room, making you flinch backwards. There was a faint sound from within the building, but you couldn't hear it over the mix of sirens and heavy breathing. Your vision was beginning to fade in and out as you hurriedly reset the ventilation.

            Immediately, it was much easier to breath, and you felt more awake and focused. Remembering that something else was in the building, you popped the panel to your right again, searching each camera thoroughly. Unfortunately, the rabbit was nowhere to be found. Even the vents were clear, which gave you a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach.

            You closed your eyes and shut the cameras. Upon opening them, you were met with a familiar sight. The golden rabbit was once again behind the window, giving you the same smile that had been stuck on its face since the second night. This time, you met its gaze, refusing to let it intimidate you.

 

            "....Hello again." You might as well try to be polite. Perhaps it'll give you a bit of leeway if proper manners were exhibited.

 

            "LI̧Tt͝lE b̕I҉R̛d̢..̧.͏ Y̧-Y-͏Y͘Ou ҉c͜AMe ҉ba̢c͢K.̷.͠.͏"

 

            You creased your brows, genuinely confused by the new nickname. "Little bird?"

 

            Your train of thought was thrown off when those annoying sirens sounded again. With a purse of your lips, you regretfully turned away from the window and reset the air system. The second it was done, you turned back to the glass, only to find the bunny was gone again.

            This time around, you knew better than to lower your guard. From what you knew, the exit outside your office could be used to lure the thing away. You popped the camera and switched to the room closest to you, playing the sound of a child's laughter. The screen filled with static, and the animatronic appeared on screen a second later, watching you through the camera.

            Now was your chance. The only reason you brought a bag with you to work was to conceal the weapon you had to defend yourself.

            Unzipping the bag, you reached inside, grasped the handle of something, and pulled out a gleaming silver bat. You hid it from view behind your back, waiting for what would come.

            You didn't have to wait long. Only a few minutes passed before something gold poked its head through the doorway. All you could hear was your spurring heartbeat as the animatronic once again walked in and stopped a few feet before you, cocking its head in interest.

 

            "W̴hA̸-A͟-͟A͢T̵'͜s͟ ̡w͏ROn̷g, liTTL̨e b́i͝R̡D?͟ YO̸u̕ ͞p̸u̵T ̀u̕p͟ ̷MuCH m̴ǫRe͠ ̷o͢f A ͜Fi̶gH̶T̵ ͝l̕-l-͟ĺa͏S̷t͞ T͠I̛m͘e..̀.͢"

 

            "....." You said nothing. This thing wasn't getting a reply if it insisted on taunting you.

 

            Once the rabbit realized it wouldn't receive an answer, it began coming towards you, prepared to end your life correctly this time. You stood your ground, your heart leaping into your throat, but as soon as it got close enough...

             _ **C-CRACK!!**_  The sound reverberated through the building. With a sickening thud, the animatronic fell backwards for a third time, clutching its head in severe pain.

 

             _"OW,̵͡ ͏̢͢FU̢C̷̵K͏!̀͜ ̵W̢͜H̵͘A̶T̡ ̡T̴HE̡̡͞ ̴H̷͠E҉͡LL͝͏͠!̧͜?͘"_

 

             _"Shut up."_  A cold glare was directed at you, but it quickly dissipated once the thing saw the state you were in.

 

            You stood over the golden animatronic, holding the bat high above your head and ready to strike at any moment. A look of intensity showed in your eyes, and it was clear that you would not take any more bullshit.

 

            "..͞.Oh҉."

 

            "Listen up, rabbit," you started. "I'm tired."

 

            "I̡ cA͢N ̴s҉e̴E T̷h͝AT-͏"

 

             _"SHUT UP!"_ You raised the bat higher, making the robot tense up, for fear of being struck again. "....Now. I know I'm not the most fearless person ever, and it's only been two nights, but I am  _sick and tired of you screwing with me!"_

 

_"_ I͜ ̕h̕A͝V́n͢'̶t͘ ̛S͘C͠r̢e͏W̴ed ̶W̴-́W-̛wit͏H̢-̷" Before it even finished, you brought the bat down on its head again. It brought its hands over the spot, groaning in pain once more.

 

_"I said, shut the hell up!! I call the shots here, and you will listen to me without interrupting!!_ " The bat was raised for another strike, just in case.

 

            A look of pain was evident on the animatronic's face. "A͟-̵Al͘r͠iǴh̀T͘.̴.́.͢ A̧l͝r͏I͘G͝ht,̵ ̛i'ĺĺ li͢S͞T̴èN̕.́..́"

 

            With narrowed eyes, you continued. "Now then, you obviously haven't been taking me seriously, and that ends today. No more of your little tricks, and no more trying to kill me. You will stop messing with me once and for all, or  _I will smash your fucking head in. Do I make myself clear?"_

 

The rabbit stayed silent, regretfully giving a nod. A scared, angry woman with a bat was not to be trifled with, but it did not like anyone taking away control of the situation. However, tonight had sparked a new interest. You had seemed utterly petrified last night, but somehow you had pulled a complete one-eighty and replaced the fear with an almighty rage. Not even the night guards the animatronic knew years before could do that.

 

            The thing's thoughts were interrupted as you began to speak again. "Great. Now I'm gonna give you some room to breath, but if you try anything suspicious, anything at all, this bat is going  _straight through your head."_  You extended a hand, keeping the bat up with the other. "Deal?"

 

            For a moment, all was silent. The golden animatronic had not expected this at all. After only one night of horror, which wasn't very long, it had thought you'd smash its skull in with the weapon you brought.

            Everything was shifting quickly. You had stopped being afraid, and now the rabbit had lost control. This was turning out to be more interesting than it first thought. Perhaps this change of events might even be fun?

 

            "Ver̕Y̶ w̨eLL T͡h͢eN͠.̨ WE ̀h̨aV́E̶ ͠a̢ ͘D͟ęA̕L͝.͏" The golden bunny wrapped a mangled hand around your own and gave it a firm shake, effectively sealing the wager. As soon as it let go, you backed up and stood near the desk, all the while keeping your bat at the ready.

            Instead of standing as you thought it would, the animatronic simply sat up, placed its chin in one hand, and gave you a knowing smirk. What it said next surprised you.

 

            "N̨o̴w T̵h͝EN, li̷T̴tlE̶ ͏b̀I̧R̢d.҉..̸ W̡-̵W-̡Wh̴a̴T́ ͠D́ơ yO̕U͘ s͟uǴG̕e̸St͘ ͟w̨e͝ dǪ ̛fo̢R THe ͝rE̵St҉ ҉of̢ tHE̵ n̶i̷GH̵t?̕" You stalled. This thing had a good point. Your watch told you it wasn't even four yet, and you were stuck with a killer robot for the next few hours.

 

            Whoops.


	3. Little Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some personal chit-chat between you and this rabbit.

            All was silent as the two of you stared at each other. A minute had passed since the question was thrown out there, but you still didn't have an answer.

 

            "W̕ęL̕Ĺ?" The rabbit continued to smile at you. "͏I-̵I-̡I'́m̨ w̛a̡It͡I̧Ng͝.̴.."

 

            "You- Shut up!" Out of annoyance, you clutched the handle of the bat tighter, earning a slight chuckle from the golden menace.

 

            "Wh̶Ąt͡ ́aR͏E͡ yO̸u͏ g͟ǫIn҉G͡ to͜ ́D͟o ҉?̡ ̸F͘-F͏-͢Fr͞Om ̧th̕A̧T͘ d́iST̴a͞nC͠e, ҉y̡oU̧ ҉C͞aN o̷nLy T̡hR͡O̴w̶ it͟,͝ a͞N̕d ̶I c͢o̷ULd cA-A-A̢tch͘ ҉t́H̀e̛ bA͠T wiTh eAs̸e." The animatronic sat up a little straighter, seeming to enjoy explaining the uselessness of your weapon. "NoẀ,̡ i̢f YOu͠ haD̷ b͘Ro͡uG͠H͟t ͡a ̧g̴UN̸, ̴I-̧I͟-I̡'d̶ ̨b͠E̸ ̴d͡oN̷e ̛fo̢R͝.͟ ThE͢n ͠a̧gAI͞n, ̀g̸uN͢s͞ ͜mA̛Ke ͘a ̀LoT of̸ ͜ņO͡Is̀E,͡ a-̨a͝-a͢Nd Y͜Ou d̡oN҉'t ͠k̶N͝Ow̡ whAT e̡L̵s͏e͏ ҉CoU͞Ld ̡be ̡l̀UR͘ki҉Ng a͠R͜o̕u̷Nd.̀.͘." Before you could reply, the same one-eared bear from earlier came out of thin air and screamed in your face. You jumped backwards, but in an instant, you swung the bat at the scorched animatronic...

 

            ...Only for it to hit nothing. Looking around, you heard the sound of sirens alerting you to the shut down ventilation. A groan followed suit.

 

            "Not again..." Keeping a firm grip on the metallic weapon, you began resetting the airflow, the rabbit watching you the whole time with that stupid smile on its face.

 

            "OoPs̴. ͟SoRRy.̶ ͡D̵idN't ͞meAN to jYn̸x̧ It." You gave the thing a weary look and sighed.

 

            "Listen, I'm trying to make this work, ok? I've never really stood up against anything that scares me, and it really  _pisses me off_  when you  _don't even acknowledge that I'm-_....." Another sigh.

            "I'm just really tired, alright?" You sat down in the office chair, letting the bat fall to the ground as you relaxed. "I didn't expect to get this far, but now I don't even care anymore. Do whatever, ok?" You shut your eyes, waiting for something to happen as a moment of silence passed.

 

            "...YoŲ'̧r͏Ę ͢re-e͘-̶ęAl̨L͏y ín͠t̨ȨrES̨t̴i͠Ng̶, y͘O͏u ͡kņOW͡ ̴tH͢a̸t̡?"

 

            Your eyes snapped open. "......What?"

 

            "I̢t̡'s ͘tR̕ué,̧" the animatronic stated, gesturing towards you for emphasis. "Wh͟eN ̕I͞ ̶f́i̡RS͜t saW̛ ̨Y͜O̴u,̧ aL̷l I͝ w̨-w͞-̨w҉A͝ntE̷D́ ̀w̴áS̛ t̀O͞ ͏KiLl ̀yOu."

 

            "Gee, that helps." You muttered under your breath.

 

            The rabbit continued. "ÝoU lo͟Ok̶eD̀ l͞iKE an͝ e̕As̢Y ţaRG͡eT̡, bŲt ̛y̢óU͞ ́pRovED̢ ͡m͝E wR͝o̸n̢G͝ bY̴ ̢lAs̨TIn͟g a͠n ̨en͜T͟iR̀e̸ ̕nIg̨h͡T ̧j-̡j-̨j͝uS̶t h͜Id͢I̶n̷g ̧aNd̷ r҉u̵ǸN̡i̕nǴ. It sURpr͢iS҉eD me,̸ ͏ręAll̀Ý."

 

            "Is that why you stole my wallet?" You interrupted, casting a suspicious look at the thing.

 

            It smiled, same as always. "KiNd̕ ͢oF̢.̡ ̷Y͜o̕U͘ gąV͝e m͢E a̡ L͜o͜N͜G ̧ǹeEdeD͡ ̶ch͝Al̢lEnG̨e,̷ ͞a͜-à-a͟nD͞ I͝ w̴Ąn̕tE͢D t͜o ̸Ma͜Ke ̀s͝uR͘E̕ ͝y̷óÙ C̡a͝mE b̨aCk̴ to ͢G̸ivE me͟ A̕n͜oTH͘er͘ o̧N͠e.͏ ͘And YO͟u͡ ̨dI҉D. ̀Í'Ll a͜d̡m͠I̕T̨, I̴ ̡d̀i҉D̴ǹ'T҉ eX̡P̕e͢c̢T ̧yoU ͟tO͏ ̵c͠O͢m̵E̕ fO͠R̴ ̛it ̸dU͏Ri̡nG͘ ̴tHe dÀY̢, ̶b̀ųT I C-C-C͏o̸ùLN't ̨h̨e͢L҉p͏ ̧m̢e̢S͠Si̴N̕G͝ ͘w̢IT̷h y̶Ou͢.̷ ͘Wh͡E͢n̷ yo̵U͟ ̴maN͢a̢gE͘d ͢t҉o tAK̴e̵ iT bAcK ̧t̴HOu͝g͟H̡..." The rabbit paused before continuing on. "T-͘T҉-́T̛h͏E MomENt͘ ͟ýOU͏ ̵Wa͟lKÈd͞ ţhR̶O͏uǴh ̵tḩE̵ D́ơOr ́tONigHT,͟ I ͝kNeẁ s̶O̸M̢e̸T̕h̵i̷Ng ͡w̡A̛S d҉i̶fFe͢R̴En̸T. ̷Yo͝U̴ ̴w̶e͠Re̴ ̢m͟O̷Rę ͜deTE҉rM̷I͘n͟eD. ̷MOr̸E ͢da̵NG̸e̕ROu͟S."

 

            "Yeah, no shit."

 

            Another gesture towards you. "NoẂ h̢e͝R̷e͟ yO̡u̕ ͠a͠R̨Ę, ̢wíT͢h nO ̕C̢O͞nc̡E͞Rn ̡foR̛ ̶Y̷oUr ̕h͡E̸A͘ltH aNd Sa̕F͢te̷Y̴ w҉Ha̕t͡S̛o͏e͜ve҉R͠.̸ ́IŢ'͠s ͏QuI̴t͞E iNter͢E̷sT͜įnG͡.͝ ̢Y̴OuR͘ ḿOoD̵s̨ S͝wit҉Ch̸ sǪ F͘a̛St,̴ ͡I̛ ͞c̛AnT ͡sE̕e͘M͏ t͟o̵ ̛k͠eE̢P u͟P̛ ͠wI͡t҉h͝ tHeM̷."

 

            "You make it sound like I have bi-polar disorder," you replied with a scoff. "Anyway, I don't see what your point is. I'm just a coward."

            Silence fell like a heavy blanket, leaving room for the two of you to think.

            The rabbit could see that you were completely exhausted. It was quite obvious, really. The dark circles under your eyes told of a sleepless day, probably spent worrying about the attraction. Not that the animatronic felt bad. As long as you could function properly and come into work, everything would be fine. You were something else entirely, something it couldn't afford to lose. A great challenge, a valued guest, and a resilient target all rolled into one...

 

            "I ͏lIk͟E͡ yO͏u̴. Y͏ÓuŖ'e̢ f̢Un."

 

            The words struck like a lightning bolt. "You...Huh??"

 

            "I l͟I͘k͡Ȩ ̵y͝Ou͡. T̀HaT͞'͢s͘ Wh̷Y ͜I͞ ͟W͠ańT̸ ̡t͏O ́hE͘lp͟ ̷y͞o̶U.͡" It tilted its head slightly. "H̢o҉W ͞a̕BO͡u͢T͝ wE̴ p̢lA̛Y͡ ̛a G̵aM͘e?̀"

 

            ".....What kind of game?" You couldn't help being suspicious, especially after all the tricks that thing had played.

 

            "A S̴i̴m̴P͞lE͡ ̵On̕E.͢ Y͝O҉u aSk̴ m̀E̵ ́a̧ QU҉èS̨t͝i̛O̧n̶,̧ ͞I ̨gi͢V̸e͜ ýoU ̸An͡ ̀An͜S̨we̷R̡. i͘ a̛sK ͝y̷Ou Á ̨q͘U͏eS͝t̕i̡O͘n, ̨ỳo̕Ù ͘Gi̢vE Mȩ  ͟an̷ ͝a̡nS͏wEr." The rabbit paused. "Y͘o̕U̶ ćA͞ǹ ͟gO FíRsT̢."

 

            "Uh, ok..." You kept a watchful eye on the animatronic. There was absolutely  _no way_  this thing was trying to be nice. "So...do you have a name or something?"

 

            "Y̵es̛.͡" It held out a hand, staying seated so as not to frighten you again. "S҉p̨ŕi͝N̷g̛t̷R̀ap̶."

 

             With confusion clear on your face, you rose from your chair and hesitantly shook the decrepit rabbit's hand. It was just as cold as last time. "_____." You quickly returned to your seat. "Nice to meet you...?"

 

            Springtrap nodded. "LiK̛ew͠I͘s̛E͠." It shifted to get a bit more comfortable. "How͞ ͢d͜I̶d͘ yo҉U ͢g̢E͝t҉ ThiS̨ ͜j͜Òb?"

 

            A groan immediately escaped your mouth. "My so called friend begged me to do it, even though he  _knew_  that this whole thing would freak me out." You halted, taking a look at the thing sitting in front of you. "Well... Not anymore, I guess."

 

            The same smile. "Y̸oU're͠ ̵wE̷l̨Çom͜E͝."

 

            ".....Sure...." You cleared your throat to dissipate the awkwardness. "Alright, tell me this. Alex said something about a boarded up room at the original Freddy's place, and that's where they found you. How the hell did you even get in there?"

 

            "O̵h͢.̡" The rabbit paused again. "..̛.I͟ g͢Li̢tC̕h̛E̕D͘ ͜and͞ ͘s̡c̸ReW҉e͞D̵ uP̡,̶ ̵s͜o͘ Sta̧Ff́ ͟t̛hR̷e̵W m͠E ͡ìń ̧T̢hE͏r͠e̷.̶ ҉G̴u͢E̢sS ̀thÉy͏ ̵n̡E͘vȨr̢ ͟g͢oT̸ aro҉U͢n͠D͟ ţO f̛Ix̵I҉n̨g m̡E."

 

            "Wait, then how-"

 

            "Y-͢Y-͘Y͜o͞u c҉A̛n'T ̴do T̶h̶At, Lit͏T҉Le͜ b̵Ir̸d. It'S my ̛tu҉Rǹ, ́r͡eMe͜m͠Be͝ŕ?͜" You fell silent, reluctantly knowing Springtrap was right. "No͡w̕,͞ h̵Ǫw̵ ̸o̡Ld ̷ąRe̢ y̴O̸u͘?͞"

 

            "...I'm sorry?"

 

            "H͠oW̵ ͞o̧l̸D ̡aRe ͟YơU?͜" It repeated itself, taking note of your obvious confusion.

 

            "Um, I'm, uh..... I'm twenty-four..."

 

            The rabbit perked up instantly. "O̸̕h! ̨̨F͟ú̕͢n!̢͟"

 

            More awkward silence. ".......Uh...ok....." When no explanation was given for the strange question, you took that as your time to ask something. "...Why do you keep calling me Little Bird?"

 

            "Y͜ou'҉Rȩ f͢rIg͝Ht̡En͡e̶D şO ̛e͞A̷s҉iLy͢, yoÙ're̸ ͏L̨i̶Ke a̶ ͟L̷i͘ţT͝lE ̵bIr̷D͢.͘ ͟Í'̨d ͢s̛Áy ̶iT'̧s͏ ͏kIn͞d o̡F͜ cUt̡E͟,̸ bU͠t̴ ̷t҉Ha҉t̢ woU͡ld ̀bE a̷ ͘l͟iE҉. ̨I͜t̵'҉S m̀OrE ̵fƯnNy͟ tHan̵ a͏N͝yTh͢i͝Ng."

 

            You visibly deflated. "Of course it is..."

 

            "W҉-̸W̨-͜Wh͡ý ͏d͡i̛D yơU ComE̶ ba̛Ck͜?̸"

 

            "It's complicated," you sighed. "At least, to me it is..."

 

            "I k̷N͏ơW ̷c̵o̸MpLiC҉a͏T̴e͡d ̵mǪr̨E̸ tHaN̵ yO̵u̢ mIg͘Ht̀ tHiN͞k̛."

 

            You sat up in the chair. "Ok, well... You suck. A lot." Springtrap opened its mouth to speak, but you cut it off before a word could be said. "You always have the upper hand! You're larger, stronger, probably faster, and you're  _fucking sarcastic as hell_  when you're not being serious."

 

            ".́...͡Fai͝R̀ ̀eŃo҉Ug͡h̶.͘ ̧Go͏ o̵N͡."

 

            Surprised by the acceptance, you shakily continued. "I-It's annoying! And I don't like it!"

 

            "S̨o͠,͢ yóU're m҉aD ͠ąbOuT͘ beIng̀ ̨S͢hoWN̨ ̢u͝P?" The smile on the rabbits face seemed more genuine, but in a mocking sort of way

 

            You huffed angrily. "You-  _Argh!!_   _That's exactly what I'm talking about!!"_  With a cross of your arms, you slumped in the office chair and muttered like a child throwing a tantrum. "I can't believe I'm talking with some- some  _thing_  that never takes me seriously..."

 

            "A̢l̸rįght͝, let̛ ̡me ͜ s̨to͟p ́y̧o͞u r̴i̶g̕h̀t ̷ there͘." The sudden clarity in Springtrap's voice shocked you enough to pay attention. "Fi͡rst҉ ͘off,͟ I a͟m͘ ̧a̕ g̛u̷y͠.͟ ̵No̸t a̸ thi̡n̛g͡.͟ Se͘c͟on͝d̡, I̡ _am_ t̨aking ͟ y͡o̶u s̷erio͞us͟ĺý. Y̛o̶ų h͟a̶d enou̡g̡h͟ ǵut͏s t̷o c̨onf́r͟o͜n͝t̛  ͠m͠e wit͡h̀ ͏n̷o̷thin̨g̛ ̀bu̴t y͢o͟u̕r͠ n͢er̸v͠e͝,̢ ̀Then̴ ̡you th̡r͟ea̸t̷ened҉ ̵t̶ò bas͏h̢ m̸y he͏a͜d̕ ҉in ́w͜ìţh ą ba͢t̨ ͢i͜f I di̷d͘n͞'͘t͞ ştop ̶m͞e̕ssín̵g̵ wi͞th you͝. ̛If ҉t̨h̛at͞'s̨ ͏n͝o͟t̸ ̷t͝o̧ b̸e t̛akeń  ͞serious̨l̨y͝,̵ ̨t̢hen̷ I do̴n't ̨k͢n̕ow̕ wh͢át ̸i͜s.̶ And ̴th̕ir̡d̵, st̴op actin͞g͠ like  ͠a̡ ̷littĺe̛ ̶br̸at. I _h͏àte_ ͏th͞at̵.͟ I̕f̵ y͏ou͜'͘r̸e҉ j̛u҉s̢t ͝g̶o̡ņn͜a͞ si͠t̡ ͠ t̡he҉r͘e ͏an̸d ͘comp̡l̛ąi̷n ̡a̶b̶o͡u͟t́ ̧y̨o̕u͏r  ͢pr̕ob̵le̶ms̸,̷ t͘hęǹ  ͠I̶'̀l͞l just̛ ge̴t͘ it̕ ̨o͏ver ̕ w̕ith ̶a͘n̛d k̀i͢ll you a̸l͞r͠ea҉d͡y.̀" By now, the annoyance in his voice was very hard to miss.  _"I̕s̶ that ̨ók͝ with̷ y̕ou͠, _͟_̨_̷_?"_

 

You were left speechless. There was nothing you could say. You hadn't expected something like this from the animatronic, but now ...

            Everything was still as you stared, the rabbit glaring back at you. A moment later, the clock chimed six, and the cheering of children was heard throughout the office. Springtrap rose and left the room without saying a thing.

            You couldn't help but feel a tad bit guilty. Of what, you didn't know, but with all the questions roaming through your head, it was difficult to pinpoint what other emotions you felt. It hadn't occurred to you that Springtrap had feelings, and now you had pissed him off. Perhaps that was the reason you felt bad.

            Staying silent, you grabbed your bat, not caring about the bag as you stalked towards the exit and went through the door. Exhaustion was already weighing you down, but now you had an angry mechanical bunny to worry about as well.

            You sat there in your car, thinking about all that had happened recently. First a new job that scared the life out of you, an animatronic that almost _choked_ the life out of you, and now you were running on barely any sleep at all.

            A sigh of exasperation was heard in the car as you laid your head back against the headrest. Why did all of this have to happen? All you wanted was a job to earn some money and pay off your house, not all this baggage that came with it! You had already considered quitting time and time again, but you didn't want anyone else to go through this and most likely die.

            For a second time, the realization hit you without warning. No one else could take your place. Springtrap would kill them, and it would be all your fault. Quitting was impossible now.

 

            You were trapped in this job, and there was no way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are plenty more song references to come in later chapters :)


	4. Questions, Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet some new friends.

            "Fffffffuuuuuuuck...." You cursed lightly into the air of your bedroom. The only thing worse than no sleep was actually getting to sleep, but not getting rest. 

            After being awake for over twenty four hours, you had collapsed onto your bed in a disorderly fashion. Your eyes had shut for what felt to be a few minutes, but when they opened, your clock was at 9:36, signaling it had already been three hours. Now you were continuously cursing your rotten luck.

 

            "Son of a bitch... I bet it's fucking Springtrap's fault. That douchebag." The recent string of events left you so frustrated, and the worst of it was that you couldn't. Get. A nice. Fucking. Nap.

            You whined. Nothing was fair anymore. Alex had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth, you hadn't been paid yet, Springtrap was mad at you, and you still couldn't sleep well. Why were things so shitty?

            With quite a bit of effort, you forced yourself from bed and slowly made your way to your dresser. It was a nice day out. Perhaps going for a swim in your pool would help to clear your thoughts...

 

\--

 

            You popped out of the water, sucking in a breath of fresh air. Swimming had actually helped you a lot. You weren't so stressed, and now you could think clearly. You weren't sure how much time had passed, but your wrinkly fingers meant you had to get out now.

            Slipping out of the pool, you grabbed your towel and began to dry off, considering what to do next. An apology would be a good place to start, but how exactly does one reconcile with an angry animatronic after thinking them not a person?

 

            "...Wait." You stopped mid-dry, the towel still around your leg. "He said he was a guy. How the hell can he be a guy if he doesn't have a...?" Your face broke out in a fiery blush as you suddenly imagined Springtrap with a robotic dong.  _"JESUS CHRIST, NO."_  You began furiously wiping away the rest of the water clinging to your skin in an attempt to rid your mind of the traumatizing image.

            Once you were effectively dry, your train of thought returned to the previous topic. You had a good point, to be honest. Robots were just wires and metal. They didn't have a gender. If that was the case, then why would Springtrap confirm that he was a boy if he was completely aware of his robot status? At least, he  _seemed_  completely aware. Then perhaps he was just more comfortable being identified as a guy?

            You bit your bottom lip in frustration. This whole gender thing was too confusing for you, so you opted for figuring out an apology instead. You knew you'd chicken out at the last second if you tried to talk to the rabbit in person, meaning you'd have to find a different way to tell him. There was no way you'd give him your phone to read a typed message, especially considering the wallet incident. Pretty much any form of communication was shot down. All except one.

            You grabbed a change of clothes and wrapped the towel around your hair before searching through the house for a sheet of paper. Once you found what you were looking for, you snatched a pen from your kitchen "junk drawer" and sat down at the table, preparing your words for the letter.

            It took some time to figure out exactly what to say, but once it was finished and checked over, you were satisfied with your work. You never thought you'd need to do something like that ever again once you graduated high school, but now you were kind of glad. Who knew you'd be writing a letter for a homicidal animatronic rabbit?

            Now that there was nothing to do, you considered trying to get some more sleep. It wasn't good for your health to stay up this long, and you had been dragging for a while now.

 

            "I swear, I'm gonna crash the car on my way to work..." Folding the letter into a small square, you returned to your bedroom and once again crawled under the comfortable blankets. A few moments passed as you stated at the ceiling for the umpteenth time, but seconds later, you finally closed your eyes......only to open them twelve minutes later.

 

             _ **"FUCK."**_

 

\--

 

            You sat in your car, thinking of ways to deliver the letter. The rest of the day had been spent trying to get back to sleep, eating a quick meal around noon, and cleaning the shit out of your house. Now here you were, aces minutes before your shift, wondering if your letter would be good enough. Just to make sure, you read over the entire thing again.

 

 

             _Dear Springtrap,_

 

_I wrote you this letter since I'm too much of a wimp to say it to your face. First off, I'd like to apologize for my behavior last night. Not many people take kindly to a homicidal rabbit that tries to kill them. You really freaked me out, and I ended up bashing your face with a metal bat. I'm really sorry about that. I don't think I'd like it if someone hit me with a blunt object. Not to mention, I really wouldn't like it if someone said I wasn't a person. That was very inconsiderate of me, and I hope this letter means there are no hard feelings._

_I'm not going to question how you can have a gender because that would probably makes things worse. Maybe we could talk and get to know each other to prevent any more insults. I don't want to offend you any more than I already have, so I'll respect whatever you don't want to share._

_Also, keep in mind that I haven't gotten much sleep since our first encounter, so I'll probably be a bit agitated for a while. Oh, and al this is really new for me. I doubt anyone has ever tried apologizing to a robot that nearly choked the life out of them, and I really doubt they'd try to apologize after doing what I'd done._

_Again, I'd like to apologize for acting like a child and not taking your feelings into consideration. I think we could get along alright if we just talk things out. You can stop by the office if you want. Maybe give me some tips on how to get some better sleep._

 

_I guess this is it? Um. Thanks, I guess._

__________

 

 

            Yeah, you were pretty sure it would work. With a glance at your clock, you shut the car off and stepped out into the night air. A deep breath helped calm your nerves as you grabbed your keys and unlocked the door.

            Just as you expected, the mechanical rabbit was standing guard in the corner of the entrance. You gathered your confidence and held the paper out to him, tensing up when he glanced at you. After a moment, he finally reached for the letter. The instant Springtrap's hand closed around the paper, you dashed off to the comfort of your office.

            The office greeted you with emptiness again as you entered the doorway and planted yourself in the rolling chair, glad to have gotten the delivery over with. With a yawn, you popped the camera panel and switched to the entrance feed, seeing Springtrap examining the letter. Knowing it would take a little time for him to read it, you blindly switched through each camera, deciding to see what stood out to you. There was really nothing else to do other than play the little game you had just invented, and you ended up verbally listing the first the that caught your attention on each camera.

 

            "Bear statue, arcade game, hallway, drawing, Springtrap, fox head, streamers, floor tiles, exit sign- oh  _shit the puppet!!"_  As soon as the words left your mouth, the panel slammed closed, and the scorched image of the puppet loomed in front of your face, effectively making you jump out of your chair.

 

            "Oh, uh... Hey there," you greeted nervously as the vision stared into your soul.

 

            "Ἤ ἔłῥ ҭђἔ м..." Everything stopped. You never knew these things could talk, and now you were beginning to freak out.

 

            "W-What?" Your eyes widened as the puppet came closer. You instinctively backed up, but the phantom kept coming. A second later, your back hit the wall, and you were forced to stay still as the puppet came uncomfortably close.

 

            "Ṩᾄvἔ ҭђἔм," it told you, eyes once again boring into your own. Just as you were about to question it again, the puppet ducked down and vanished, leaving you to the sirens and bells. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding and went immediately for the systems panel. Once the ventilation began to restart, you retreated back to the rolling chair and attempted to catch your breath.

 

            "God... That puppet thing is fucking creepy." A moment passed as you composed yourself, followed by another camera check. You wanted to know if Springtrap had finished your letter, but when you switched to the entrance feed, a completely different sight waited for you. A strange figure had taken the rabbit's place. Whatever it was, it had blocked nearly the entire screen.

 

            "What the...?" You made the mistake of leaning in towards the screen to try and make out what was obstructing your view. Yet again, the panel slammed closed, bringing you face to face with what looked to be a small child.

             _"Oh, fuck!"_  You immediately backed up, recognizing who was in front of you. It was the boy that freaked you out and made you scream the night you ran from Springtrap. To your horror, the kid smiled directly at you.

 

            "Ἤἷ, ῥʀἔҭҭẏ łᾄḋẏ!" This time, your jaw dropped. Not only was a hallucination talking to you again, but now it was calling you pretty. Needless to say, you were completely flabbergasted.

 

            "......I.....don't know how to respond to that..."

 

            "Ҭђᾄҭ'ṩ ὄќ! Ғὄẋẏ ƈᾄᾗ ḋὄ ҭђἔ ҭᾄłќἷᾗʛ!" For a moment, you thought the name sounded familiar.

 

            "......Uh..... Who's Foxy-" You hadn't even finished your sentence before something leaped at you from the corner again, the broken voice box screeching with hatred. You screamed of course, backing up to the wall yet again to try and distance yourself from the attacker. What you didn't expect was the little boy to laugh at you.

 

            "Ɲἷƈἔ ὄᾗἔ, Ғὄẋẏ!" Through the panic and confusion, you saw a taller animatronic standing next to the boy. It looked a lot like the fox head mounted on the wall in camera 4.

 

            "ᾋẏἔ, 'ҭᾧᾄṩ ᾗὄҭђἷᾗ', łᾄḋ. Ҭђἔ łᾄṩṩ вἔ ṩƈᾄʀἔḋ ᾄṩ ᾄ ᾧἔἔ ṩῥᾄʀʀὄᾧ!" The broken fox cocked it's head. "ᾋ łἔᾄṩҭ, ҭђᾄҭ'ṩ ᾧђᾄҭ ҭђἔ ὄł' łᾄᾗḋłὗввἔʀ вἔ ṩᾄẏἷᾗ'. ᾋἷᾗ'ҭ ҭђᾄҭ ʀἷʛђҭ, Ŀἷҭҭłἔ ϐἷʀḋ?"

            Oh hell. Now the ghosts were spying on you. What more could a night guard ask for?

 

            "U-Uh....." You couldn't really respond, given the amount of shock and fear coursing through you. The only thing you were concerned with right now was a way out of this mess.

            You had snuck a quick glance at the systems panel, wondering if you could reach it without being attacked, but it appeared that Foxy had caught the small movement. He knew what you were planning and let out a slight chuckle.

 

            "Ἤἔђ. Ɲὄᾧ, ᾗὄᾧ, łᾄṩṩ, Ἷ ᾧὄᾗ'ҭ вἔ ђὗʀҭἷᾗ' ẏἔ ᾄᾗẏҭἷмἔ ṩὄὄᾗ. Ҭђᾄҭ'ṩ ᾗὄҭ ҭђἔ ʀἔᾄṩὄᾗ ϐϐ ᾄᾗ Ἷ ƈᾄмἔ ђἔʀἔ." You frowned. There was no way in hell that you would believe what these things said. The only one you even remotely trusted was Springtrap, but he was still highly unpredictable.

            "Ὓἔ ṩἔἔ łᾄṩṩ, ҭђἔ ʀἔṩҭ ὄ' ҭђἔ ƈʀἔᾧ ᾄᾗ' Ἷ ƈὄὗłḋᾗ'ҭ ђἔłῥ ᾗὄҭἷƈἷᾗ' ẏἔ вἔἔᾗ ҭᾄłќἷᾗ' ᾧἷҭђ ҭђᾄҭ ƈὗʀṩἔḋ ʀᾄввἷҭ." Foxy's single eye narrowed a bit. "ᾋᾗ' ᾧἔ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ qὗἷҭἔ łἷќἔ ᾧђἔʀἔ ҭђἷᾗʛṩ 'ʀ ʛὄἷᾗ'."

 

            "Ὓὄὗ'ʀἔ ἷᾗ ᾄ łὄҭ ὄғ ḋᾄᾗʛἔʀ, łᾄḋẏ!" You creased your brows, thoroughly confused by BB's words.

 

            "...Well, yeah. I mean, there's a robot in here that nearly killed me, and I'm pretty sure he could actually do it if given the chance." You stiffened when BB ran directly up to you, his ghostly eyes wide with anxiety.

 

            "Ɲὄὄὄ, ẏὄὗ'ʀἔ ᾗὄҭ łἷṩҭἔᾗἷᾗʛ! Ҭђἔ вᾄḋ мᾄᾗ ἷṩ-"

 

            "Ɲὄᾧ ђὄłḋ ὄᾗ łᾄḋ, Ἷ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ҭђἷᾗќ ẏὄὗ ṩђὄὗłḋ вἔ ҭἔłłἷᾗ' ᾧђᾄҭ ђᾄῥῥἔᾗἔḋ."

 

            "ϐὗҭ Ғὄẋẏ, ᾧђᾄҭ ᾄвὄὗҭ ҭђἔ ῥὗʀῥłἔ-"

 

            "Ἤὗṩђ ὗῥ! Ὓἔ вἔ ṩᾄẏἷᾗ' ҭὄὄ мὗƈђ, ᾄᾗ' Ἷ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ᾧᾄᾗҭ ҭὄ ђᾄvἔ ҭђᾄ' вἔᾄʀ ḋἔмᾄᾗḋἷᾗ' ᾄᾗ ἔẋῥłᾄᾗᾄҭἷὄᾗ ᾄṩ ҭὄ ᾧђẏ ҭђἔ ᾗἷʛђҭ ʛὗᾄʀḋ ќᾗὄᾧṩ ᾧђᾄҭ ṩђἔ ṩђὄὗłḋᾗ'ҭ!"

 

            "ϐὗҭ-"

 

            "Ɲὄ вὗҭṩ! Ὓἔʀ ʛὄἷᾗ' ҭὄ ʛἔҭ ὗṩ ἷᾗ ᾄ ᾧђὄłἔ ђἔᾄῥ ὄ' ҭʀὄὗвłἔ!"

 

            You watched as the two went back and forth. Everything they said only served to confuse you more. What purple thing was BB trying to talk about? Who was this bad man he had mentioned, and how did he come into play? What was even going on in front of you?

           How did you know that these things were telling the truth, and that this conversation wasn't another figment of your imagination? It was obvious the phantoms weren't real, but if that was the case, how were they holding a conversation with you? Did this mean you were going insane?

            Without warning, everything began spinning. You hadn't noticed it before, but it was getting harder to breath. The two figures in front of you became blurry as you tried to stay standing.

 

            "Ὃἷ' łᾄṩṩ, ẏἔ ᾄłʀἷʛђҭ? Ὓἔʀ łὄὄќἷᾗ' ᾄ łἷ'ł вłὗἔ ҭђἔʀἔ."

 

            "Ἷ ҭђἷᾗќ ṩђἔ ᾗἔἔḋṩ ҭὄ ḋὄ ҭђἔ ᾄἷʀ ҭђἷᾗʛẏ!" Right. The ventilation.

 

            You switched your gaze back to the system panel, quickly discovering an error next to the vent system. You went for the panel, but at the first step, your body collapsed, unable to support your weight. Knowing you couldn't give up, you began a slow crawl towards the panel, the edges of your vision beginning to darken.

            Your lungs struggled to take in air as you came closer and closer to your destination, reaching a hand up once you were near enough. The arm supporting you threatened to collapse as your strength was sapped away more and more, but you desperately reached for the screen so you could breath again.

            By now, you were wheezing heavily. Everything seemed to swirl around you as your gaze was focused on the panel. For a brief moment, you thought someone was calling your name, but you ignored the possible hallucination as your finger ever so slightly brushed the screen.

 

             _Resetting._

 

            You slumped to the ground, sucking in large amounts of air as you barely managed to stay awake. Most of your sight had gone, leaving almost nothing for you to see, and the dizziness didn't make it any better. You shut your eyes, discovering that it helped quite a bit as you slowly normalized your breathing. Once the world stopped moving, you opened them, only to see something you didn't expect.

            A pair of glowing eyes were staring at you from above.

 

            "_̕__͠__?͝ ̢Ca̵n y̷ou ̕hear m͠e̵?" You stared up at the golden rabbit, taking a second to register what had happened. "__҉_͘__?͡"

 

            ".....You're voice isn't so messed up anymore..."

 

            "Oh̴. ̵Ye͟ah҉."

 

            "...Is that permanent?" Springtrap replied with a shrug and offered you a hand, which you gratefully took. He helped you up, making sure you weren't about to fall over. "Thanks."

 

            "S̛ur͟e̛. ̧Now̢ ̵whỳ th͠e̛ hell did̢ ̢y̴o̕u͞ wa̷ìt sǫ lon͜g ͝to̢ ͜r͏ed͢o t͡h̶e̴ air?͟ ͜If͠ yóu ̕wa͞nte̵d ţo͏ suff͟ocat͡e͡ ̡a͘gaín so ̵b̢a͡d͘ly, ̛I ͢còu͜ld̸'̕v̕e do̕n̢e͠ it̷ a ͢lot̛ q͘ui͝ck͠ȩr.̨" You scoffed.

 

            "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not too keen on dying just yet."

 

            "T͢hen̕ ̸w͡h̛a̸t͏ ̢h̛app̸ene͘d̛?͞ ͟Y̴ou͏ ͜w͏e͞r͡e̵ ͜lik͘e ҉a͞ ́fi̧sh͠ ͏o̸n ̶la̕nd͟!" The rabbit tapped on your head as if tapping a fish tank. "Y̸ou̡ s̶u͢r͝e̷ y̴ou'́re ̵şa̷ne ͟e͠n̶oùg͘h f̷or t͏hís҉ j̸o͜b͟?" You swatted his hand away, not appreciating the joke. The whole ordeal had shaken you up quite a bit, and you couldn't help but wonder if your sanity truly  _was_  suffering.

 

            "I'm fine, ok? Just drop it already!" Springtrap held up a piece of paper in response to your deflection.

 

            "I ̷t̵houg͟ht y̢o͠u̧ wa͏ņte͞d́ to͜ t҉a͡lk͠ ̧t́h̢ing̸s ouţ.͢ ͘Were y̵ou ̵lying ̸to͟ ́m͞e,̸ _̕_͟___?̕" Your gaze softened at the sight of the letter you had written. Now you were conflicted. Part of you was angry at the rabbit for using your own apology against you, especially when you clearly did not want to talk, but part of you wanted to share what you had just experienced, if only to have someone else prove that you weren't crazy. Then again, perhaps this was a good time to earn the animatronic's trust.

            You bit your lip, recalling the chilling figures that had invaded your personal space. If there was ever a time something bothered you, it was nothing compared to what Foxy had told you. The idea that there was more danger in these walls besides Springtrap was now a high possibility, and nothing sat well with you anymore besides the golden rabbit.

 

            "I.." You began to speak, trying to put what you were feeling into words. "I-I saw something..."

 

            "Hat͏e ̕t́ó b͞re̛ak̵ ̛it ̡to yóu kid͜,́ b͝ųt͢ th͝at͏ s͞eems ͝t̀o hàp͟p̵en ̨a lot̵ ̵aro͝un̢d h̷er̢e.̵"

 

            " _No, it-_...ugh. This time was...different." Now the animatronic was becoming a little suspicious.

 

            "..҉.Ho͜w ̵d́iffer̢e̸n͡t?͠"

 

            "Some...puppet thing. It was trying to tell me something, but I didn't understand who it was referring to."

 

            "W̵ha͞t́ ̛d͏ìd i͞t̴ ́tel͏l̛ ýou?͠"

 

            "Uh... Help them, save them?" You threw your hands up in confusion. "I don't know who it wants me to help, but it was really fucking creepy."

 

            "Y̨e͡ah,̨ it'̧l̶l̸ ̡d͡ǫ tha͡t͞.̧" You didn't bother questioning how he knew this. You just wanted someone to help did you of this nervousness.

 

            "After that, some little kid showed up with a fox-"

 

            "BB̛ ҉a̸nd ̢F͞o͟xy҉?̶"

 

            "Yeah! They were warning me about something!" You paused. "At least, I think they were. I'm not really sure. Foxy said he and everyone else didn't like me talking to you." From what you could tell, Springtrap was a bit annoyed by this.

 

            "O͟f̢ co͠urse͟ t̛h̨ey d̢on̢'t͘..."

 

            "Then BB said I was in danger and he tried to explain why, but Foxy interrupted him. I couldn't really understand what he was saying. All I could manage to hear was something about a bad man and... _purple_." The rabbit cocked his head slightly.

 

            ".̵..̨Pu̶rp͝le, hu͏h͢?͝" You nodded.

 

            "I haven't seen anything purple in here. Maybe BB was just spouting nonsense to try and confuse me, but he looked pretty concerned." You gave your acquaintance an uneasy look. "I really don't know what to do, Springtrap. This place is seriously freaking me out, and now I'm not sure if what I saw was real or not. That whole thing with Foxy and and BB was the reason I nearly suffocated again, and I'm scared that I might slip up and actually  _die_  here. Third time's the charm, right?" The rabbit said nothing. He just stared.

            You sighed and sat back down, planting your head in your hands. Everything was a roller coaster of stress and fear. One night it was fine, next it was terrifying, and then you nearly die again. At this rate, you might as well jump off a cliff. Nothing you could do would fix anything, and the only one who probably could was standing there like he wasn't really a living animatronic.

            Everything seemed to be getting worse and worse, but just when you thought about giving up-

 

            "Yơu'͠r̡e̕ ̨n͘ơt͘ g͟oi̷ǹg͠ cŕazy̴, ̢_̧_͟_͟_͡_͜." You whipped your head around, gazing wide-eyed at the golden rabbit.

 

            "...I'm not?" Springtrap shook his head lightly.

 

            "N҉o͜.́ I͘t̨'s ́rea͏l̀ly͜ ̴diffi̵cul͘t t̴o ̛ex̡pl̕a͢i̕n̴, ̢bu̡t̸ ever͢yt͜hi͡ng you'v̴e seen̶ ̴an̵d̸ hea̢r̀d̕ is real͡ t̵o̵ ͠s̨omȩ èx҉te̢nt.̧" Silence. All of a sudden, you let loose a bout of relief-filled laughter.

 

            "Oh god, that's great!  _Perfect, even!! I'm not losing my mind!!_ " With alarming speed, you stood and immediately embraced the animatronic in a hug.  **" _Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!"_**

            While you had your arms wrapped around him, Springtrap had gone stock still. This was definitely not what he expected, and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about the sudden hug. Even though he couldn't physically feel it, the rabbit was quickly becoming uncomfortable. Thirty years without human contact had severely affected him, and no one really liked him much before that, so he was glad when you finally came to your senses and let go.

 

            ".....I immediately regret hugging you..."

 

            "Wh̸a̢t̴̴?̶̀" You hugged yourself instead, trying to generate some warmth.

 

            " _You're cold as hell, man!_  And no offense, but it smells like something crawled in your wires and died." For some reason, the rabbit perked up quite a bit.

 

            "Oh̸-͜ ͢I,̡ ̀Uh̵-" You smiled at his sudden nervousness.

 

            "Bro, calm down. You've been stuck in that back room for who knows how long. It's not really a huge surprise."

 

            "...̀Ri̵g͞h̨t.͘"

 

            "So!" Now that you were feeling much better, you decided it was time to see if your apology had worked. "Did, uhh...was my letter ok?" The surprise on your face was evident when Springtrap began to laugh a tiny bit.

 

            "H̷a! Yo̵u͟ ̛w͡a̶n͠t m̢e ̕to b̛e hon̴est̸?͜" A moment passed before you hesitantly nodded. "It w̷as̷n'̴t ̵that͢ ̢b͠a̴d! Y̵ou ́di̕d͢n'͢t ͞t҉ry ͠t͜o͞ bu̷lls͜ḩi͠t̵ me͏ and g̴o͡t ҉r͞ig̶h͡t͟ t́o̷ the̡ p̨oin͟t͟. ͠I l͞i̶ked ̶ít.҉ T̴h̢a̷n̷k͢s." Your eyes widened in disbelief.

 

            "You....actually  _liked_  it?" A nod caused you to release a sigh of relief. "Ok, great."

 

            "A͘l̸th͜ou͜gh͏, ͢it ̨d̴i̧d͠ ̴fee͡l a̢ b͡it ̧s̵app̵y̸.̛"

 

            "It was an apology!" A small chuckle emanated from the robot.

 

            "I̷ ̨kn̡o̵w." With a roll of your eyes, you finally shut the systems panel before it was forgotten entirely. "Re̵ad̢y͡ ̸f͠or҉ ̡a͟not̶h̶er ̀ŗou҉nd ̸o̢f́ Q̷ ͞a̷nd̵ A͝?"

 

            "Is that what we're doing?" Yet again, the rabbit shrugged.

 

            "I̕t'̴s̢ some͞w̸h͞er͜e to ̧s͜tart."

 

            "Hm. Well, ok." You plopped down in the chair again so you could be comfortable. "Do I start?"

 

            Springtrap would have smiled if the animatronic shell didn't already have one. "L͞a҉di͡es͠ ͡fìr̴s̡t.̡"

 

            "Oh." You paused. Now was your chance to ask about things that had been bothering you. However, you still needed to avoid offending the rabbit again, and that seemed easier said than done. You would essentially be prying into his life, but you couldn't help wondering how he even had life to begin with.

            Your mind was swirling with thoughts and questions as you struggled to pick something to ask. A glance at your watch showed it was about 1:42. Plenty of time to talk, but only one question burned into your thoughts.

 

            What should you ask first?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me if the phantom text is hard to read. I had that problem on Quotev, and I have a way around it if anyone needs it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what it sounds like.

            The two of you sat in silence once more as you wracked your brain for a question. There were many things you could ask, but some had the potential to offend, leaving only a select few remaining. You thought about everything that had happened recently, and finally found a suitable query.

 

            You met the eyes of the animatronic in front of you, not knowing of the concern you showed. "...How long have you been stuck in that room?" The only answer you got was another head tilt, so you proceeded to explain. "I mean, look at you. No offense, but the shells in that box over there look a hell of a lot better than you do." Strangely, what you received was a shrug.

 

            "Eh.҉ ͝I̡'vȩ ̴b͡ee͠n̶ stuc͠k͟ fo͜r͝ ́ab͝o̵ut...͞ ͞W͘h̕a͞t's͟ the ̧da͠té?́"

 

            "June 2nd, I think. 2017." A yawn escaped your mouth once you spoke, and you didn't notice the little ear twitch the animatronic did.

 

            "Oh͜.̕ ҉D̴a̧m͜n.̀"

 

            "What?"

 

            "I̵'͢ve̛ ͟be̛en̢ ̕s̀t͘u͜c̵k ͝f͡or t̵hi͡rt͢y̵ ̨yèars." Your jaw dropped yet again due to the shocking news.

 

            " _Thirty years?!_ With  _nothing_  to do and  _no one_  to talk to?!"

 

            "N҉o ͟onȩ ͢b̶u͟t ͞th͢ose id̛iot͝s yo͜u s͞a͞w͝.͞" This time, you paused.

 

            "....You...Y-You can see them too?" If Springtrap answered yes, then maybe he wasn't just saying what you wanted to hear to calm you down earlier. Maybe you really weren't crazy, and maybe this animatronic could help you somehow.

            However, instead of answering your question, the rabbit did the complete opposite.

 

            "I'm ̴pŕȩtt̕y s҉u͜re̢ it̢'͝s we̴ll ͟pasţ ̧m̸y͞ t̀ur͏n͞ ͠now, ̨L̶ittl̢e Bi̸rd.͘"

 

            "But-"

 

            "N̷͞ò.͠" You huffed, disappointed that your question went unanswered. If anything, that was probably the most important matter right now.

 

            "Fine." What he asked next surprised you.

 

            "H̷o͏w͢ m̧uc̷h͟ ̴sl̶ee̸p ̷ha͏ve͠ ̨yo͡u b̢e̵en̡ ̵g͠et̀ti͘n̨g?" You had to stop and think for a bit.

 

            "Uh..." This was night four, and the sleeplessness started when Springtrap first showed, so that would mean... "I haven't gotten any real sleep in...three days?" The rabbits eyes widened immediately, completely shocked by your answer.

 

             _"O̴h̢ ̡m͟y̨  ͜g͝od̶."_

 

"Yeah..." Without meaning to, you yawned again. "You're the one who caused it in the first place, you know." Again, where you expected an apology, the animatronic did nothing of the sort.

 

            "W͢e̵ll, ̶u͠h.͝..͝ ̕T͠h̡at̢'s̸ ba̡d.͘ B̕ut I'͝m̨ ͡no̸t̨ ̵so͟rry." You sighed in defeat.

 

            "Of course you aren't..." A moment passed before Springtrap spoke again.

 

            "M̛a͟ybè you͝ s͟h͞o̸u͜ld ̴t̛ak̨e a nap.̸ ̷You̵ k͟nów̵,͜ ͏unti̢l҉ your̛ ҉s̡hi҉f̢t̨ ̶is o̧v̶er.͠" You gave him an incredulous look.

 

            "What?" Another shrug from the animatronic.

 

            "Wh͏y ņo͝t?̀ I ͟d̕o͏n͟'̴t kn̛ǫw a̛b̡out̛ ͘ỳou, ̀but Į'͏m li͝ke ͞a̷ ̷s͟e͟ri̸a͟l k͢ill̛er ͜wh͟e͢n̵ ͠I̛ ̵d͞o͢n̨'̶t ̢get e͡ńoug̛h͝ ̕s͘l͏eep̀.̧" The rabbit chuckled at his analogy, but you didn't give it a second thought. That nap sounded so good right now, you didn't even respond before yawning and swiveling your chair towards the desk. Curling your arms like a nest, you laid your head down and closed your eyes, the sounds of the attraction beginning to fade. Peaceful sleep was so close, but one last sound caught your attention just before you slipped into slumber.

 

            ".͟.́..̀.G҉ood͜ niǵht͡,͡ __̕___."

 

\---

 

             _Your eyes fluttered open as you shielded them from the bright lights shining in your face. Where the hell were you? Hopefully not in some warehouse with a serial murderer searching for you._

_The lights died down, and you furrowed your brow at the strange scene in front of you. A birthday party was in place. Children ran around chasing each other, eating pizza, and playing games. Instead of party hats, the kids wore weird masks, some of which being a bear, a chicken, a white fox, a red fox, and one that looked eerily like the phantom Puppet at your job. From the corner of the room you were standing in, you could also see a child with a...a mask of BB's face?_

_You were snapped from your thoughts when the kid wearing the p_ _uppet mask ran up to you and began pulling your hand._

 

_"C'mon, it's time to sing happy birthday!" Going along with the strangeness, you followed the child to the other side of the room where you noticed a giant pink cake that reached almost to the ceiling. You gawked at the stack of confectionary, completely oblivious to the rest of the children that gathered around. As if on cue, each kid began to sing perfectly in sync._

 

_"Happy Birthday to you~!" You tore your gaze from the cake and joined in, all the while searching for the person you were singing to._

_"Happy Birthday to you~!" Crying caught your ear, and for the first time, you noticed a single monochrome child crying on the other side of the cake. By now, you had stopped singing._

 

_"Happy Birthday, dear_ _s̸̶̡͜h͢҉F͟͞ **k̶̴̨̛͜d̵̷̷̷̀S̨̢͡͏S̵̴͘͞H́͡͠!"**  You jumped. The sudden distortion had startled you, but that didn't stop you from kneeling in front of the crying child._

 

_"Hey... Are you ok?" Everything went silent. Ever so slowly, the crying boy(?) looked up at you, his eyes sparkling with tears. You gave him a gentle smile..._

 

_...right before he screamed demonically. You jumped up and backed away quickly, watching as the monochrome child twitched violently. Without warning, the lights flickered, and a feeling of dread overcame you when you discovered the kid was gone. You whirled around to search for him, only to see the rest of the children had gone as well. In their place stood the phantom animatronics from Fazbear's Fright, gazing at you the way a predator would to its prey. You backed up as they began closing in, only to meet the wall. The robots continued to move closer and closer until they completely surrounded you._

_Without warning, the lights cut out. Everything was pitch black, but you knew they were still there, waiting to do whatever vile things they had in mind. The mere thought of it had tears building up in your eyes as you heard one of them shuffling closer, and they finally spilled over when a music box started playing. Freddy Fazbear was now in front of you, but you could only tell by the flashing lights of his face. Your horror only increased when he leaned in and whispered._

 

_"Ɲἷʛђҭẏ ᾗἷʛђҭ, Ŀἷҭҭłἔ ϐἷʀḋ." Before you could react, a broken hand lunged towards you and-_

 

 

_**"NOOO!"**  _You jumped back and began thrashing about. _ **"LET GO, GET AWAY GET AWAY-"**_

 

**"_̶̶͏_̨͢҉_̢̕͢_̛͟͏́͝_̷̶̶̛!̡͢͝͞!̷̸͜"**  The familiar voice made you freeze like a deer in headlights. You finally opened your eyes to see Springtrap looking at you with....was that  _worry?_ "J͝esu͢ş Ćh͘r̛i̷şt,̷ ̨w̛h̛at t̨h͠e ̷h̸ell ̸di͟d̨ ̧you d̷re͜a̵m͢ ab̀o̢ut͘??" Only a few seconds passed before your face crumbled and you broke down in tears.

 

             _"I- I was- They were- A-And then-"_

 

             _Oh shit,_  the rabbit thought. This was not good. You were completely hysterical, and it had been a  _very_  long time since he had to calm a crying person. Not to mention, he had never been any good at it. If anything, he'd probably make it worse.

            God, why did people have to be so  _sensitive?_  Why couldn't they just take it like him? It would be so much easier, he wouldn't have to be all sappy and nice, and everything could just move on. Then again, if you had been like him, you probably would've smashed his skull in with that bat instead of dealing with him. Hell, you probably wouldn't even be here in the first place!

            The animatronic sighed inwardly. He could never get the kids at Freddy's to calm down, but you weren't a child. Maybe he'd have more luck this time.  _Oh well,_  he thought.  _Here goes nothing._

 

"__͞_̕__, ͏ca҉l͏m d̵o̧wn̕.̧" You stopped mid-sentence. "Yo̵u̧ ne͏ed̴  ͠to sp̀ea͞k͠ ̶cle̢aŕly,҉ ̸o͝k͠?̵ ͏I cąn͜'͠t̀ ͞ u͡n͞der͠ştanḑ ̢you̸, s͟o͞ I c̸an͏'̨t ̕h҉el҉p͏ ̨y̸ou. ̵Nòw te̛ll ̢me̶ ́w̨hat h҉ap̸p͝en̕e̛d,̵ ̕a͞lrigh͠t?̵" The tears hadn't stopped, but you knew what Springtrap was talking about. With a nod and a sniffle, you slowed your speech for him to hear.

 

            "I-I-I w-was... T-There was a...birthday...party. The kids they were- they all had on t-these masks.. I think they were the... T-the..."

 

            "T̡he͠ p̀h̕a͞ntom̶ a͟ni̛ma͟t̡ŕon͠i͟cs?" You nodded quickly, not questioning how he guessed correctly. With a gulp, you shakily continued your story.

 

            "O-One of the kids, h-he uh... He said it was time to- to sing. Happy birthday?" The animatronic nodded.

 

            "O͜ḱ, ͟ go o̧n͞.̕"

 

            "Uh... We were singing, but I saw- ...It was a kid. I-I think. He- He looked really weird, like-"

 

            "Lik̢e àl̕l̕ h̨i̸s c͝o̡ļo͘rş  ͝had d̵rain͜ed." You perked just a bit.

 

            " _Yes!_  He was crying! I tried to- I asked if he was alright, but..." You stalled. "But..."

 

            "Di͟d̶ ̧he  ͟c̛hasé af̴ter ͏y̢ơu̕?͞" You gave the rabbit a fearful look.

 

            "N-No, he.... He screamed. It sounded weird too, like he wasn't a real kid or something..." Springtrap listened intently. He didn't like the sound of this. "The lights flickered, and he was gone, but when I turned around, they.... The kids weren't there anymore... The phantoms were in their place, a-and they kept closing in on me until the lights went out..... Freddy...." The rabbit flattened his only ear in anger.

 

            "...́W͘h̡at̀ ̢d͡iḑ he ̧do̷ t̀o̴ ͘ýo͜u̸,̡ ͜_͠__̢__̴?̨" Out of nervousness, you bit your bottom lip.

 

            "H-He, uh..... His face... It was flashing in the darkness, a-and he was playing some kind of music box." You creased your brows for a second. "Now that I think about it, the tune sounded familiar.... Like, I know I've heard it before, but I can't-"

 

            "F̷ocu̴s̵." Yet again, you perked up.

 

            "...Right... He said something. I think it was 'Nighty night, Little Bird'. Then he, uh..... H-He started reaching for me, and that's when I woke up." The memory sent chills down your spine as you recalled it, but you were glad to tell it anyway. It had helped you calm down and gave you the chance to wipe the tear streaks from your face. Now you were able to focus more clearly, the nightmare leaving you only a bit unnerved.

            However, your story did the complete opposite for Springtrap. He was absolutely furious. How  _dare_  those damn kids haunt you in your dreams?! Sleep was the only place he could get away when he was alive, and now the phantoms had the gall to take that away from you!! There was no question about it now. He would have to confront them face to face and demand them to stop.

            Hiding his anger with ease, the rabbit sighed when the clock struck six. During the cheers of children, you grabbed your keys and stood from the chair.

 

            "Well, uh... Thank you. For helping me tonight." Pause. "Twice." An ear twitch.

 

            "N͢o̴  ͠prob͜le̶m̡." He moved from the doorway as you strode towards the exit and opened the door. "Try ́to̸ ̨ge͡t ͜some sl̸ee͟p, ́a҉lr̛i҉ght͝?" You glanced backwards and smiled at the animatronic.

 

            "Sure thing. Goodbye, Springtrap." The rabbit waved as you exited the building.

 

            "G̵oǫdb͜ye̵, _͠__͢__." The door shut behind you, but Springtrap stood in place. When he heard the sound of your car starting and rolling away, the rabbit turned to the hallway, his eyes once again filled with hate. He yelled loudly so everyone could hear him.

 

             _ **"Al̨righ̀t,͝ Fazf̷uck!! We̕ ̨nee̴d̶ to͘ t̸alk͟!͘!͟"**_ No response.The animatronic narrowed his eyes. "I̢ ҉ḱn͝ơw͞ ̀you'̕r̢e ́the̵r̡e! ͢S̢top͜ ̷a͜c̴t҉ing̀ ́l̕ikę a  _cḩi̧ld!͝!́_ " Silence. Springtrap huffed angrily as he waited.

 

            "....Ẃђᾄҭ ḋὄ ẏὄὗ ᾧᾄᾗҭ, Ṩῥʀἷᾗʛ?" A sweep of the hallway revealed that Freddy hadn't appeared. He was just a disembodied voice. Oh well. That didn't matter.

 

            "I wa̴n͞t  ͠a̸n̵ ̵e͡xp̧láǹa̧ti̶o̧n."

 

            "Ғὄʀ ᾧђᾄҭ?" The rabbit scoffed.

 

            "Yǫu͞ k͠no̶w̕ da͘m̴n͟ ẁe͟l͘l f͘o̡r͜  ͡wh̕at." A pause.

 

            "...Ἷ ђᾄvἔ ᾗὄ ἷḋἔᾄ ᾧђᾄҭ ẏὄὗ ᾄʀἔ ҭᾄłќἷᾗʛ ᾄвὄὗҭ." Springtrap gritted his jaw in annoyance.

 

             _"St̶o̡p̢ ̛l̛y͝ing ̨t͜o m̸é,͏ ͘you ̀g͟o̷d͡ d͢amn̨e̢d̸ mam͢a̡'͠s ̛b̵oy̶."_ A small chuckle could be heard in the air.

 

            "Ἷҭ ᾧᾄṩ ᾄłᾧᾄẏṩ ṩὄ ἔᾄṩẏ ҭὄ ʀἷłἔ ẏὄὗ ὗῥ. Vἔʀẏ ᾧἔłł ҭђἔᾗ, Ṩῥʀἷᾗʛ." Something tapped the rabbit on his shoulder, making him turn around. Standing there, trying to look dapper as ever, was the phantom of Freddy Fazbear. "Ŀἔҭ'ṩ ҭᾄłќ."

            If he could still form facial expressions, Springtrap would have frowned. He had never gotten along with the bear very well. If he thought he was annoying as a snot-nosed kid, he was quite wrong. The years had changed the child, and now he was one of the smartest phantoms here, not to mention his whiny attitude had taken an arrogant turn. He was always doing things to mess with the rabbit, and it was starting to get old.

            Springtrap halted. Now was not the time to get lost in thought.

 

            "Why ţhe͠  _h̛e͡ll̵_  ẁerè ̧y͞òu͟ ̢i̶n̶  ͞__̸_͝__̵'̷s d̸rea̢m͏s̨?͝" As if mocking him, Freddy Fazbear smiled.

 

            "Ἷҭ ᾧᾄṩ ʝὗṩҭ ᾄ вἷҭ ὄғ ғὗᾗ. Ŀἷʛђҭἔᾗ ὗῥ." This made the rabbit stomp his foot.

 

            "F͜u͢n͟,̕ ̧my̛ a͟s̕s!͠ ̨S̸h͠e w̶a͜s o͏ut̢ ̶of ͟her͏ m҉i̧nd̸ ̵a̛fter y̨o̸u sc̴a̴re̴d h̢e͢r!" Remembering a few sleepless nights that he really needed, the animatronic suddenly empathized with the night guard he had come to know. "Y̶ou ha̵d͏ no̢ rig͠h̡t to̴ do ̷tha̵t̸, ͡F̸az͏bèa͟r͘.̶ S̴h͟é'̸s co̕mplęt͝e̕l̸y i̴n̶nòc̕e̴n̸t.͘" Freddy cocked his head.

 

            "Ὃђ? Ὓὄὗ мἔᾄᾗ łἷќἔ ẏὄὗ ђᾄḋ ᾗὄ ʀἷʛђҭ ҭὄ ὗṩἔ ҭђᾄҭ ṩὗἷҭ ᾄᾗḋ łὗʀἔ ἷᾗᾗὄƈἔᾗҭ ƈђἷłḋʀἔᾗ ʝὗṩҭ ҭὄ мὗʀḋἔʀ ҭђἔм?" All talking ceased as Springtrap cursed inwardly. He hated to admit it, but the bear had a good point. Then again, the phantoms still probably had some form of morality, while the man inside the suit didn't have any. At least, that's what he thought. If that was the case, then why was he defending you?

            What was going on here?

 

            "Ғᾄƈἔ ἷҭ, Ṩῥʀἷᾗʛҭʀᾄῥ. Ἷ'м ʀἷʛђҭ, ᾄᾗḋ ẏὄὗ'ʀἔ ᾧʀὄᾗʛ. Ҭђἔʀἔ'ṩ ᾗὄ ᾧᾄẏ ғὄʀ ẏὄὗ ҭὄ ᾧἷᾗ ҭђἷṩ ᾄʀʛὗмἔᾗҭ." This only fueled the flames of anger growing inside the rabbit.

 

            " _Oh ́y͏e̢a͘h͢?͡_  In͠ ͘c͜ase͞ y͘óu͡'͏v̷e̕ f̸o͢rgotten,  _y҉o͢u̕'r̕e d͝e̡ad._  ́I kįlle͢d̀ you,͠ ͝a̛n͢d͞   ͠ņow͜ ̀you͞'̸r͞e ̸ _s͢t̵uck̛ ̡he͟r̕e wi͏t́h ̀no ̀way ou̶t. ̷ **Fo͠ŕe͜ver.͘"**_

 

            "ᾋђ, вὗҭ ẏὄὗ ғὄʀʛἔҭ." Freddy leaned in close to make his point.  _"_ _Ṩὄ ᾄʀἔ ẏὄὗ._ _"_  That was all it took to make the rabbit snap. He reared a hand back and struck as hard as he could without hesitation.

             _ **CRASH!**_  Something hit the ground, but when he looked, it was not what Springtrap had expected. To his frustration, the phantom had already disappeared, and the rabbit had ended up punching the empty shell of the bear instead. He would have kicked and stomped on it, but that would've solved nothing.

            The animatronic sighed, his fury finally simmering down. If he wanted to stop the children from frightening you further, he'd have to be able to think clearly. But how could he stop nightmares? It was obvious the phantoms wouldn't let you sleep after your job, but how could he fight it? They weren't his dreams, and he wasn't empathic enough to talk to you about it every single time.

            This was tough. Springtrap had already killed the phantoms once, and he doubted he could do it again. Once something was dead, it was even more difficult to fight and get rid of. How the hell could be stop the dead spirits of children from entering your dreams and-

 

            .....Oh.

 

             _Oh yeah._

 

            That would work  _perfectly..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose I could add nightmares to the tags now? I'm gonna go do that.


	6. Do You Dream in Purple?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Springtrap puts his plan into action.

            The slam of your car door echoed throughout the neighborhood as you trudged up the driveway. Every thing about life sucked. Springtrap was apathetic as ever, and those dumb phantoms didn't seem to like you, but now you just wanted to go inside and get some rest. The whole lack of sleep thing was losing its novelty, and now it was becoming one of those things that you would deal with every day. For instance, buying groceries. You didn't really feel like dealing with the uptight mood and idiotic driving habits of other people, but it was just something you had to work through.

            You didn't even have the energy to yawn as you stomped upstairs and collapsed onto your bed without even changing. The world began to fade out as your eyes slowly shut, your mind on the brink of sleep. Maybe the phantoms couldn't reach you at your house. Yeah. Maybe...just maybe.....

 

\---

 

             _Everything was dark, but you could hear the voices of kids all around you. From what you could hear, they were all cheering happily for a band you hadn't heard of, but lights caught your eye before you could think about it further. There were spotlights appearing on a stage in front of you as the curtain pulled back, revealing a set of robots you vaguely recognized. They seemed so familiar, but you couldn't put your finger on who they were before the bear in the center began speaking._

 

_"Hey everybody! I'm Freddy Fazbear, and these are my friends Bonnie the Bunny and Chica the Chicken! Say hi, guys!" The purple bunny waved with one hand, looking around at the crowd of children and parents._

 

_"Hey, kids! I'm Bonnie, and I like to rock out with my guitar!" Next, the chicken held up a pink cupcake on a platter._

 

_"And I'm Chica! I like to laugh and eat pizza with all my buddies! And speaking of pizza, did you all enjoy your food?" The room erupted with cheering again before dying down when Chica began laughing. "That's great! I'm glad you liked it so much!"_

 

_"Hey kids," Freddy began. "I heard a rumor about it being somebody's birthday today?" Before you could think, the kids near you replied with 'yeah's and immediately pointed at you. You froze in your seat, not liking the sudden attention._

_Regardless of your shyness, Freddy bowed and tipped hit hat towards you. "M'lady." A second passed before you giggled. Maybe....Maybe this wasn't so bad after all._

 

_"What's your name, birthday girl?" Bonnie had broken you out of your shell every so slightly, because the next thing you knew, you were answering his question._

 

_"_____!" Freddy nodded approvingly._

 

_"Well _____, I think it's time to sing happy birthday to the birthday girl! What do you say, gang? You ready for a song?"_

 

_"Yup!"_

 

_"You bet!"_

 

_"Alrighty then! One, two, three-" Immediately, the band began singing to you, and to your surprise, a cake was set down in front of you. However, when you looked to see the waitress who had delivered the confection to you, the smile was immediately wiped from your face. The woman's eyes had been gouged out, and an unidentified liquid was flowing from her gaping mouth._

_Your attention was drawn away from her when something tapped your shoulder. Turning around, you discovered a fourth animatronic standing in front of you. Bathed in a spotlight was Foxy the Pirate Fox, tilting his head in confusion._

 

_"Is somethin' wrong, lassie? Ye look a bit pale there." You didn't reply, too weirded out from the woman with the cake. "Are ye not havin' a good birthday?" Without words, you shook your head. Foxy flipped up his eyepatch. "Aye, I'm sorry about that. Things haven't been th' best around 'ere fer a few weeks."_

_You suddenly whipped your head in the other direction, completely ignoring the fox. Nothing was there. Just...blackness. That was strange. You could have sworn you heard someone shouting your name._

_"Don't worry though. Perhaps I can help ye..." Something about the way that was said didn't sit right with you, and your turned your attention back to the animatronic, only to freeze up immediately. Foxy' eyes had turned completely black with only little white dots serving as pupils. "_ _Ɠ'ᾗἷʛђҭ, łᾄṩṩἷἔ..."_

_There was no time to react before Foxy opened his jaw and advanced towards you, his teeth biting into your head, cracking the skull, and tearing through your frontal lobe-_

 

            You flailed and kicked, screaming bloody murder. It took a moment for you to realize that it was a nightmare, and you opened your eyes to scan the room just in case. Reassured that there was no danger, you curled up into a ball, trying to get the horrible dream out of your mind.

 

             _"Ohgodohgodohgodwhyyyyy..."_  Tears began flowing down your face as the events replayed in your head without permission. There seemed to be no end to the terror, and you could only sit there and hope the thoughts would go away as you sobbed uncontrollably...

 

\---

 

            You had forgotten about the mind-numbing power of Netflix. When pictures of puppies and kittens didn't help, you tried to think of something else to distract you before remembering the TV had the program installed. Now you were sprawled across the couch, working your way through the entire third season of an anime called Lucky Star. The simple story line allowed you to lose focus and forget the frightful nightmare. Not even thoughts of Springtrap could invade your mind as the cartoon animation took away your worries. Every now and then, you would get up to eat something and use the bathroom, but otherwise, nothing compelled you to deviate from binge watching whatever you could find.

            Eventually however, your eyes began to droop. The nothingness in your head was drawing you towards sleep without you even being aware of it. Just as another movie began to play, your eyelids fell, and you slipped into unconsciousness...

 

\---

 

             _You bolted upright, finding yourself in the hallway of a building. Partially dim lights hung overhead, revealing children's drawings, paper plate dolls, and pizza decorations hanging over black and white tile. Immediately, you knew it as Freddy Fazbears's Pizza. It reminded you a bit of Fazbear's Fright, but everything was too different. This place seemed newer and cleaner._

 

_"...Uh....H-Hello...?" Your question echoed in the empty hallway. Only the faint sound of a music box answered._

_You hesitantly stood, a bad feeling gnawing at your gut. With shaky footsteps, you followed the music, hoping to figure out what was going on. It took a bit to find your way, but you successfully navigated through the maze-like halls and found the source of the music. There was a counter with many prizes behind it, and strangely, a large present box was in the corner._

_Still a little confused, you approached the music box on the counter and took the small trinket in your hands as it slowly wound down. The melody was nice, and you couldn't shake the feeling that you had heard it before, just like the song Freddy had played in the darkness._

_While you continued to ponder your whereabouts, the music came to a halt, and you didn't notice the lid of the present box gradually lifting. With a shrug, you placed the music box back on the counter and turned to leave._

_Without warning, a hand took hold of your wrist. You froze, not wanting to piss off whatever had gotten an iron grip on you._

 

_**"You...."**  The entire world froze with you as you recognized the eerie voice. You fearfully turned your head towards the sound, only to see the Puppet glaring at you from the box.  **"You broke my music box..."**  Your eyes widened._

 

_"N-No I didn't! It still works! Look, I'll show you- GYAH!!" You had tried to turn and wind the music box again, but the vice tightened around your wrist, and you nearly crumpled to the ground due to the pain._

 

_**"You're not leaving, Little Bird... You took away my music, and now I'll take aw**_ _**ᾄẏ ẏὄὗʀ łἷғἔ..."**  You desperately tried to pry yourself away from the Puppet, but it's grip only tightened as it pulled you closer and-_

 

_**WHACK!!** You fell backwards as the Puppet released you, covering its mask and screaming in pain. Without warning, a figure stepped in front of you and struck it again with a bat, making the thing retreat into its box for safety. Immediately, the figure turned and faced you, allowing you to get a good look at them. What you saw sent chills down your spine._

_Standing above you was a man in a security outfit. The way he looked intimidated you. Shined boots, shined badge, ironed and pressed pants, perfectly tucked in shirt, and even his scruffy hair had an organized quality to it. However, that wasn't what freaked you out the most. The strangest thing about him was color. Every piece of clothing, even his skin and eyes, was a shade of-_

 

_"Purple..." You gaped up at your savior for a moment longer before he held a hand out to you. Still in awe, you gave your own hand and allowed him to help you up. Before you could say anything, he spoke._

 

_"Are you alright?" You nodded, only stopping when you noticed the present box opening again._ _"Good." The purple man turned and gave the Puppet another hit, making it hide in its box again. "Now let's go." Without another word, he grabbed your hand and began racing down the hallway. You struggled to keep up, but the man pulled you along anyway, making sure you didn't fall behind._

_Suddenly, a broken Chica jumped into your path. The purple man didn't hesitate as he struck the chicken over the head, took your hand again, and dashed past her. When BB tried to grab you, he received a hit with the bat as well._

 

_"W-Where are we going?!" You asked as the two of you ran by a newer looking Freddy and turned right._

 

_"Oh, you'll see! I think you'll like it!" Another turn, this time to the left. "We just have to get to the entrance!" The two of you continued running, and suddenly the front doors came into view. "Almost there, _____!" Wait. How did he know your name?_

_You were about to question your savior when a decrepit Foxy leaped onto him and pinned him to the ground._

 

_**"**_ _**Ὓ-Ὓ-ὛἝȒ ƝὋҬ ƤĿᾋὛἿƝ' ҒᾋἿȒ, ṂᾋҬἝὛ!!"**  The fox raised his hook in an attempt to tear into his prey, but the purple man held his arm at bay. You were about to grab the bat and help, but you realized there were more animatronics coming, making you wonder if you should help or run. Fortunately, your savior answered for you._

 

_"_____, go!! Get out of here!!" Without a second thought, you bolted towards the entrance. Light blinded your eyes as you pushed one of the doors away and stepped out into the open. Once you were out, the light began to settle, allowing you to see where you had escaped to. You immediately went slack-jawed._

 

_"Oh my god..." Colors. That's all you could see. Colorful shops here and there, colorful candy and treats being sold, colorful rides and roller coasters, everything was full of color._

 

_"You like it?" The sudden voice made you jump, but it was just the purple man walking up next to you. With another glance at your surroundings, you finally managed a response._

 

_"Y-You... You brought me to Six Flags..." The reply was a simple shrug._

 

_"I thought it'd be a better place to go than that dumb pizzeria. Not very bright and cheery, you know what I mean?" A giddy smile found its way onto your face._

 

_"You brought me... To Six Flags." Your gaze settled on the purple figure. "SIX FLAGS. You brought me to the place I haven't been to in YEARS." Your tone of voice had steadily lightened with your widening smile, and the grape-colored man couldn't help but laugh at how childish you were acting._

 

_"So.... You gonna go ride stuff or-"_

 

_"YES!!" As soon as the word left your mouth, you took the other guy's hand and led him to the nearest ride as quickly as possible. To your delight, everyone in line moved away and let you cut all the way up to the front, where you and your savior waited for the current roller coaster to halt._

_The purple man smiled. A genuine smile too, not the fake one he had been forced to wear for years on end. He had never seen you so happy before. The only emotions you had shown at the attraction were fear, anger, and despair. It was nice to finally share a true moment of happiness with you. Even if the phantoms had tried to attack him, this moment made it worth it. A night guard needed their sleep, and if he had to put himself in danger so you could perform your job correctly, then so be it._

_The man was pulled from his thoughts when the roller coaster hissed and stopped in front of you. Taking your seat, you flashed the purple guy another smile, only becoming more giddy when he gave you one in return._

_It was at that moment however, that your savior decided he wouldn't tell you who he really was. If you were to ever find out the truth, even without all the gory details, everything would most certainly fall apart._

'Oh well,' _he thought._ 'It's just so _____ can finally get some sleep.' _A second later, the ride started, and you began screaming. The man noticed a large difference in your current shriek compared to the ones he had heard before. The ones from the attraction were forced and laced with fear, while this one was bubbly and full of joy._

_This time, the man allowed his smile to inflate into a grin. This was the most fun he had had in ages! He would probably do this more often, if just to get away for a little while... Yeah.... Maybe he could finally stop being so hateful...._

 

_Maybe he could finally feel alive again....._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My own take on our dear purple murderer. I've kind of grown attached to him now that the story is over and done with <3
> 
> Oh, and that's not love he's feeling.


	7. Equivalent Exchange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title relates to Springtrap's inability to rest while in your dreams, if you're wondering.

  _Whoever said Six Flags was fun obviously didn't see it from the Purple Man's point of view. The constant ups, downs, and loop-de-loops were making him sick to his stomach, not to mention you kept screaming right in his ear. At first your joyful cries made him happy, but now you were just as annoying as the children from Freddy Fazbear's._

 

It's official, _he thought as the two of you exited another ride._ I am never bringing her back ever again.

 

_"Hey, Purple Man?" His gaze snapped to you, immediately seeing a question in your eyes. "I haven't seen you smile since we got here. Is something wrong, or...?" Oh, right. He had fallen back into his habit of hiding, and in more than one way._

 

_"No, I'm fine. Just...thinking." The grape colored man thought you'd be satisfied with his answer. Instead, you asked a follow up question._

 

_"About what?" The man's footsteps halted, and he gave you an ambiguous reply._

 

_"....Things." Not sensing the obvious deflection, you sat down on a nearby bench. The rides were fun and all, but now you were getting a bit tired._

 

_"Like what?" With a sigh, the man sat down next to you._

 

_"Like.... Like what you called me." An incredulous look was shot your way, along with a snarky remark. "Purple Man?_ That's _the best you can do?" The sudden change in mood caught you off guard, causing you to stutter._

 

_"W-Well, you're purple! It was the first thing that popped up!!" A scoff was the reply._

 

_"Obviously." The lack of respect caused your anger to flare, but in a way, you couldn't help but feel like this conversation was somewhat familiar._

 

_"What the hell am I_ supposed _to call you, then? Don't you have a name or something??"_

 

_"Yeah." He held out a hand, staying seated so the two of you could still relax. "Seff." Yet another sudden change in attitude. This guy was gonna give you whiplash sooner or later._

 

_With confusion clear on your face, you leaned closer and shook the Purple Man's hand. Strangely, it was a bit cold. "_____." You sat back in your spot. "Nice to meet you."_

 

_Seff stared at you for a moment before looking away and nodding. "...Likewise."_

 

_Suddenly, you froze. "Woahhh, ok."_

 

_"What?"_

 

_"I just got some serious déjà vu." A smirk appeared on Seff's face as he let out a small laugh. This action alone made you smile again. "Ha! You smiled!" The man shook his head, the smirk staying glued to his mouth._

 

_"No, I didn't. There's a difference between a smile and a smirk, _____."_

 

_"Well, still! It's close to something, right?" Your question was met with a shrug. You sighed, knowing that an argument would get you nowhere. ".........Seth, what-"_

 

_You were immediately interrupted. "No, not Seth. Seff. S-E-F-F. Seff." Confusion once again overtook your face._

 

_"...Huh. That's a weird name." Another shrug._

 

_"Eh, my mom was part Hebrew. Apparently it's supposed to mean wolf, or something like that. See, Hebrew names are meant to-"_

 

Your eyes snapped open, a sudden song awakening you from your dream. Slightly grouchy, you reached down into your pocket for your phone and answered, the obnoxious ringtone already telling you who it was.

 

            "Ugh...Hey, Karen..."

 

            "Woah, _____, did I wake you up or something?"

 

            "What do you think...?"

 

            " _Ohhhhh, right!_  You have that night job at the haunted house!" Judging by the tone of voice, you could tell Karen had never really forgotten about your job. You sighed.

 

            "What do you want, Karen?"

 

            "Ok, so I was wondering if you wanted to go out and eat or whatever. You know, hang out! We haven't really talked in almost a week because of your job, and-" A sudden light passed by your window, making you think for a moment. "-since, like, kindergarten, you know? We're best buds! We gotta stick together!"

 

            "...Hey, what time is it?"

 

            "It's, uh....It's [11:34](http://x-apple-data-detectors//13)." Your eyes widened in horror.

 

            ".....At night?"

 

            "Well, duh!" You whipped off the blanket and jumped from the couch.

 

            " _Shit!! I'm gonna be late for work!!_ "

 

            "What??"

 

            "Karen, I have to go! I promise I'll text you sometime [tonight](http://x-apple-data-detectors//14) and make plans for tomorrow, ok, bye!" You hit the red button and dashed to the laundry room for your uniform, praying that Springtrap wouldn't be angry with you. However, something told you he most likely would be. Oh well.

 

            You'd just have to rush and see for yourself.

 

\---

 

            As soon as you pulled up to the building, you jumped out of the car and rushed to open the door. Once it was unlocked, you slipped inside and made a mad dash for your office, considering Springtrap wasn't in his usual spot. And of course, the second you made it to the doorway, there he was, sitting in your chair, arms crossed and an unamused look in his eyes.

 

            "..̀.̢.̀.̢You'̛r̕e la̵t̨e͠.̵" Immediately, you tried to explain.

 

            "Yeah, sorry, I fell asleep and didn't have a nightmare for once, and I guess I-" You paused. A second later, you shook your head at him. "Dude, get out of the chair. You're not a night guard."

 

            "Sa͜ys͠ ̨y͏o͏u̢." This made you scoff.

 

            "Sure, like  _you'd_  know what to do."

 

            "I'd ̕ k̛n̢ów not ̶t́o b͘e͠ ҉l̨at͘e. A̡ ͏F͢az̷be̴ar employe̕e̛ i̶s͟ nȩvér,  ͡ _ev́er_  ͝ la̢t̡é f̶or̢ ̴wor̨k.͜" A deadpan look was shot his way.

 

            "Alright, I get it. I was late, and I'm sorry." The rabbit glared at you.

 

             _"_ _W̡el̵l̕,͡ ̨som͢et̨ime͡s sorry͟ d͠oe͠s͡n't͞ cúţ ͘it̴,͠ ̵_____!"_ You felt yourself straighten up at the sudden hostility. Not wanting to push the animatronic, you held your hands up in a non-threatening way.

 

            "Ok! Ok. Sorry isn't good. Got it." Instead of calming him down, this only seemed to aggravate Springtrap more.

 

            " _N̶͟o̸͞!̛͠_  Įt͞'̸s not͜ th͟a̛t ̡i͜t͡ i͏śn't good, ͡jus͘t̀-͢" You were clearly confused, making the rabbit placed his head in his hands. "U͏r͡ǵh, ne̡vęr ḿi͜nd͘.͡.̷.̧" You let your arms drop down, a look of genuine concern painting your face.

            Something was obviously wrong. The only time you had seen the animatronic so unfriendly was the first time you had met him, not to mention he was just trying to console you from your nightmare yesterday! Whatever happened after you left last morning had obviously wrecked his almost-caring mood, and without pissing him off even more, you intended to find out what it was.

 

            "...Hey." The rabbit looked up, his gaze meeting your own. "Are you alright?" A moment passed before he let hung his head again. The way he just flopped into the chair seemingly brought you back to your days without sleep.

 

            ".̷...I'm v̶er̴y̡ tir͠e̕d̨, _͜_͞___...̛." As soon as it was gone, your confusion was back again.

 

            "Wait. You're  _tired?_ " The instant the words left your mouth, a tightened fist was slammed onto the desk.

 

             _"Yes̵, I'm tire̕d!!̢ You͜ ̕ w̕an̴t̶ m̕e to write a̢ ̧fu͜ckin͘g es̛say abou̡t͝  ͟it!?"_ The fiery rage left immediately once the rabbit saw what happened. You had flinched away from him, your arms bunched closely in your chest, and instead of showing surprise, your eyes were filled with fear.

 

            Great. He had fucked up.

 

            Springtrap remained silent. He doubted you'd forgive him after his little outburst, so instead of trying to redeem himself, he opted for hanging his head again.

 

            ".......I'm sorry." The rabbit perked up.

 

            "..͡.W̨hat̷?̕"

 

            "I'm sorry." You let yourself relax a little, but fear still gripped your stomach regardless. "It might not cut it, but I'm sorry if I did anything to-"

 

            "A͟lŗi͏gh̀t,̢ śt͞o͜p̕. ͘Quit ̧a̧poloģi͝z̡in҉g̶ f͏o͠r do̧in͠g̨ ̵n͠ot͜hing̸.̴ ͝I'͜m ju̡s̀t   ͢bei̸n͘g an i͝r͜ri͠ta̡b̵l͜e̶ pr̵i͝c͝k,̨ anḑ   ͡I͞'̡m ̴i͜n͜ t̕he w͢ro͢ng ́ b̷y̴ ̴t̶ak͞i̛ng ́it̴ ҉ou͢t ͡ o͟n͏ yo̷u̢,͠ s̡o don'̶t͘ s̷a͡y̵ y͘ou҉'̛r̛e s̸orr͟y.̨" You paused.

 

            "Uh...ok." Silence. The two of you stayed there, awkwardly staring at each other. There were no other words to be said, and now you could only wait until someone or something other than the air conditioning made a sound.

 

            As if on cue, your phone began to blast Nikki Minaj's Anaconda at max volume.

 

            ".́..Th͢a͟t i͡s th̶e̴  ͜d̸u̵mbés͞t̕ r̀i̧ng͏to͟ńe̢ I ha̡ve ̷év͏e̡r̕ ̷ h̶e̕ard.̸" Springtrap suddenly gained a thoughtful look. "Act͠u͞ally͢..̛..n̴o,͘ ͜I ̡t̴h̨ink I͜'v͞e͏ h͡e͏ar̛d   ͢w͡o̶rse͠." Ignoring the comment, you fished for your phone a second time and hit the green button.

 

            "Um.... Hey, Karen. What's up?"

 

            "Ok, I know you said you'd text me, but I went ahead and  decided that I'm visiting you at work."

 

            "Wait- You  _what?!_ " The rabbit in front of you was impressed at the octave your voice managed to jump to.

 

            "Yeah! It's gonna be awesome! We can play spooky hide-and-seek and scare each other and stuff!" You frantically began trying to explain why that was such a bad idea.

 

            "NononoIdon'tthinkyoushould-"

 

            "Too late! I'm already here. See you in a bit!" Karen hung up, leaving you stunned. You dropped the phone to your side and gave Springtrap a fearful look.

 

            "M-My friend.... Is coming to visit me...." The animatronic tilted his head.

 

            "Ah͢, ̡yo̸u͘'r̕e fiņe. T͝he͞ ̵f̕r͡ont͠ ent̷ranc̴e lo͠c͟ks͞ o͟nce ̢yóu ̵st̷e͞p͠ ͘in͝si̵d̡e.͏" Immediately, the sound of creaking hinges was heard, along with a distant  _'HOLY SHIT'_ , to which you couldn't help but facepalm.

 

            "Unless I left it open..." Knowing there was no time to hide the decaying rabbit sitting in your chair, the two of you were forced to wait as the sound of flittering footsteps slowly came closer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            "A̛ Fa͜zb́e͝a͜r̵ ęmpl̕o̷y̵e̵e ̕ al͠so͢ ̢r̢e̡m͝e̷mb͝e͢rs̷ to   ͢s͘hút͏ the̡ doo͟r̷  ͟on̕ th̨eir   ͝w͏a̵y ̧in-""

 

            "Oh, shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys should really see the pictures I have assigned to these chapters on the other website. Some are pretty funny.


	8. Reindeer Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen pays you a visit.

            It was taking longer than you thought for Karen to work her way through the attraction. Judging by the squeals of joy echoing down the halls, she was probably fangirling over all the creepy decorations. However, it did give you time to think of a way to hide what Springtrap really was, so you didn't waste time and turned towards him.

 

            "Ok, she's gonna think you're super cool and everything, so just kind of stay there and don't move or speak at all-" You jumped when something hug-tackled you from behind.

 

             _"Ohmygodyounevertoldmehowawesomeandscarythisplace- WOAH."_ Karen immediately let go and took a few steps toward the rabbit, who was now sitting limply in the chair. "Who is  _that?_ " You awkwardly cleared your throat and introduced her, hoping your five second plan would work.

 

            "Um, uh, t-this is the animatronic Alex found in the back room of the old Freddy's building." The mention of an animatronic made the girl's eyes widen in wonder.

 

            "Ooooh..." Your friend stepped closer to the rabbit and extended a hand, making your stomach squirm in anxiety. Hopefully Springtrap had listened to you and wouldn't react. The last thing you needed was for Karen to realize he was a living animatronic.

            The other girl lifted one of the rabbit's hands, turning it over to inspect it. "This is freaking amazing, _____! I didn't know Alex actually put effort into this place!" She dropped the hand and began peering into the various holes in Springtrap's body. "Maybe he could have brought a few ghosts or something back from the original restaurant."

 

             You scoffed at the irony. "Yeah. Maybe."

 

             "Hey, it could happen!" Karen told you, now playing with the animatronic's broken ear. It was only when she began tilting his head each and every direction that you noticed Springtrap had shut his eyelids.

 

            "....Sure. Whatever you say, K." Your friend continued to examine the rabbit for one moment more before turning to you with a smile.

 

            "Does it have a name?"

 

            "Uh...yeah. Springtrap." The excitement on her face only grew.

 

            "That's  _awesome!!_  And you didn't tell me about it  _why??_ " You opened your mouth to try and come up with an excuse, but a loud  ** _BANG_**  resounded through the hallway. Karen ignored your widening eyes and instead ran to peek around the doorway.

            "Is there another one? Because that would be even more awesome."

 

            "Not exactly..." Your friend whipped around and gave you a serious face.

 

            "I bet it's playing hide and seek." You stopped, a confused look finding its way onto your own face.

 

            ".....what?"

 

            "We should play with it."

 

            "..... _what??_ "

 

            " _I'll hide, you seek, ok, GO!_ " Karen sprinted down the hallway, leaving you completely dumbfounded at her actions. A face palm was imminent, as you had no idea how she could just run towards an unknown sound and want to play hide and seek in a spooky building she's never been in before. You sighed and turned to the golden rabbit still lying in your chair.

 

            "Hey, I need to go after her. Do you think you could watch the ventilation while I'm gone? I  _really_  don't need those phantoms showing up tonight..." There was no response. "...Are you listening to me?" Silence. Noticing his eyes were still closed, you nudged the rabbit, thinking it would do something. "Spring, come on, I really need your help here." Nothing. You waited another moment before throwing your hand up in frustration. "Fine! I'll do it on my own." Your feet began to carry you out of the room, and you began your search for your friend.

 

            "It's not like you've ever even done anything for me..."

 

\---

 

            This was a terrible idea. Instead of playing along with Karen's ridiculous behavior, you should have tossed her out and sent her back home. It would have been a lot easier than searching for her through the creepy hallways while trying to avoid the phantoms that you knew would be roaming around.

 

            "God, I should've just watched the stupid cameras! At least then I'd be getting somewhere..." You were near the area the Puppet usually showed up, the strobe light casting eerie shadows across the walls. For some reason, the place was even creepier this time around, but once Karen began screaming, your fear was cranked up a notch. You took off in the direction it came from, making your legs go faster when another scream rang out.

 

            Seconds passed before you heard something, answering whatever it was with your own voice.  _"Hold on, Karen!! I'm almost-"_  You passed through the next doorway and stopped, not expecting the scene in front of you. "...here....." Karen turned towards you, a smile bright on her face.

 

            "_____, you liar! There  _are_  other animatronics here!" Her gaze switched back to an uncomfortable looking Chica, the Puppet hiding behind her. Karen began circling and examining them the way she did for Springtrap, babbling the whole time. "IsthisChica, who'stheotherguy, I'veneverseenthembefore, doyouthinkChicaisachickenoraduck, maybeshe'samixofbothIdon'tknow, whyisChicasofatandtheotherthingsothin-" The two phantoms gave you a pleading look, and you were surprised to hear Chica actually speak to you.

 

            "Ƥłἔᾄṩἔ ђἔłῥ ὗṩ..."

 

            "Oh my god, they can talk! That is  _so cool!_ " Immediately, Karen began asking the two all sorts of questions, leaving you to observe the strange spectacle.

 

            A voice spoke beside you. "Ғʀἷἔᾗḋ ὄғ ẏὄὗʀṩ, мἷṩṩ _____?" You jumped, seeing Freddy Fazbear and Foxy standing on either side of you.

 

            "Jesus Christ, don't do that!!"

 

            "ᾋẏἔ, ṩὄʀʀẏ łᾄṩṩ." A sigh. "Ҭђἔ ʀἔṩҭ ὄ' ҭђἔ ƈʀἔᾧ вἔ ђἷḋἷᾗ'."

 

            "...From  _her?_ " The bear nodded.

 

            "Ὓἔṩ. Ҭђἔẏ'ʀἔ ᾗὄҭ ҭὄὄ ќἔἔᾗ ὄᾗ мἔἔҭἷᾗʛ ҭђἷṩ...Ḱᾄʀἔᾗ ῥἔʀṩὄᾗ." A nervous chuckle escaped as you began twiddling your fingers.

 

            "W-Well, uh.... She kind of has a horror obsession. Where others run and cry, she tends to, uh....laugh. A lot." Freddy groaned.

 

            "Ŀὄvἔłẏ. Ẃἔ'vἔ ʛὄҭ ᾄᾗὄҭђἔʀ ᾧἔἷʀḋὄ ὄᾗ ὄὗʀ ђᾄᾗḋṩ."

 

            "Yup," you agreed, not taking any offense from the statement. Foxy face palmed once Karen pulled the Puppet into a hug and began dancing with it.

 

            "Ὓᾄʀ, ҭђἷṩ ἷṩ ʛὄἷᾗ' ҭ' вἔ ᾄ łὄᾗʛ ᾗἷʛђҭ..."

 

 

            And a long night it was. Karen continued 'playing' with all the Phantom Animatronics she could find, stealing BB's hat one point. Eventually the shenanigans became to great to handle, and you had to distract her while the Phantoms snuck away. Luckily, the songs on your phone were enough to spark a karaoke session that lasted a good few hours. To top off the night, the two of you competed against each other in the two arcade games stationed in the building.

            It was currently 5:57, and you had just seen Karen out of the attraction, the growl of her vehicle fading into the distance. Letting loose a sigh of release, you waltzed into the office, your gaze instantly resting on the golden rag doll still sitting in your chair.

 

            "Hey," you called, kicking the chair and sending it to the other side of the room. "My shift's almost up. Are you gonna wake up or not?" Immediately, the rabbit's eyes snapped open and met your own.

 

            "Oh,̢ I͞'̧ve  ͞be̴e̛n  ͝a͡w̡ake̸ for a ̶wh͟ile̡ n͏ow." A moment of stunned silence passed as you slowly realized that he had been watching through the cameras the entire time.

 

            ".....You're an ass...." The reply was a shrug.

 

            "H͢ǫw̷ did yo̵u ̛ ǵet ̢t͜he ҉Phántoms t̸o͟ le̵av̨e͟ ̶y͏o̢u al͏ońe?"

 

            "Freddy and I struck a deal. I get Karen to leave them alone and they stop giving me nightmares." A stare.

 

            "...̴.͟P̀er̸i͡o͘d?̀" You nodded, a smug look camping out on your face.

 

            "Karen is willing to come back  _aaaany_  time." Springtrap let out a chuckle.

 

            "L͞et͞ ̨m̛e̢ g͡uęss, ͞d͢id̀ she-" His sentence was cut short as the clock struck 6:00, the bells and cheering drowning out his voice.

 

            "Oh, uh... Right..." The two of you fell silent, realizing there was nothing keeping you here anymore.

 

            "...̨..͢.͞..G̕oòdbye̛,̧ I gue҉ss͏." You paused.

 

            "....Yeah, uh..." You stepped out of the doorway and back into the hall. "See you later, Springtrap." The rabbit watched yet again as you stepped towards the exit door and out of his sight. Only the sound of the metal door opening and slamming shut signaled that you had finally left.

            If he was really honest with himself, the golden machine was a bit disappointed that he had missed talking with you. It didn't matter, though. Now that the phantoms were out of the way, he could be in the attraction and elsewhere without expending too much energy.

            Had there not been one permanently etched into his new face, the rabbit would have smiled.

 

 

            "...̷See̡ ͡ yo̢u͟ ͏s̕oon,̨  ͜_̸_̡_͏_̴_͘"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, spooky ominous ending.


	9. Roller Skate King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time with Seff. He's really good at roller skating.

             Right when you pulled into your driveway, you couldn't help but notice that you weren't really that tired. Perhaps with this little bit of energy you could actually get something done. In fact, you had been dying for some real free time even before Fazbear's Fright. Maybe you could-

 

            ".....Oh. Ohhh yeah..." A devious smile grew on your face. Yes, now you could have some real 'free time'.

 

\--

 

            "Come on, almost there... Nnnngh...."

 

 

_"Ha!_  Take  _that_ , you freaky plant thing!!" Since arriving home, you felt the desire to play one of your favorite games: The Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess. It had been a few years since you played it last, so you had made a new file and were now celebrating your victory against the boss of the first temple. You had even nicknamed the monkey who served as the mini boss.

            "And thank you Sir Albert Ape III, for helping me defeat this monstrosity." A smile found its way to your face as you saved and shut down the game console. Some time had passed since you had begun playing, and sleep was now beckoning you to bed.

            Grateful that the fifth night had passed quicker than you expected, you were able to just curl up like a burrito again and flop onto the couch, the dim light filtering in from outside providing a cozy setup. As your eyes fluttered closed, your mind couldn't help but wander, coming to a stop at an old series you used to watch. Red vs Blue had been a personal favorite, and even though the finale had been heart wrenching, the song during the credits* had nearly pulled you to sleep the first time you heard it. In fact, it was beginning to do the same now that it started playing in your head. The beautiful accompaniment flowed with the woman's soothing voice, successfully carrying you off into the clouds, where you would finally have another moment of peace.

            Before going to dreamland though, you began to reflect on a few more thoughts. Springtrap had freaked you out a little, but perhaps you'd get to see Seff again and ask for some advice. Even though the two haven't met. And are years apart in age. And have totally different personalities.

 

            ....Well shit.

 

            Ah, whatever. It's not like things could get much worse. You had a secure job, great friends, and a homicidal robot who might also be a friend. If that's not good, then perhaps Seff could tell you what is. In all honesty, you kind of looked forward to seeing him... Maybe if you tried hard enough, he actually  _could_  help with your Spring problem.......Maybe...Alex might finally show.....Just........maybe...

 

... _zzZZzZzz_....

 

\--

 

             _Upbeat music. Cheerful voices. A light breeze blowing through your hair. Wherever you had appeared, fun seemed to be imminent, and that fact was reassured once you opened your eyes._

_You were at a roller rink, skating in a giant oval with many people you had never seen before. The fact that you were keeping your balance sent a wave of joy through your body, resulting in a large grin covering half of your face._

_As you rounded a curve, the music changed. It seemed to be some sort of electric violin piece** that was just Pop enough to be accepted, due to many of the skaters trying to perform tricks to the beat. You shrugged, caring more for the fun than the music. As the song reached the bridge, you slowed and eyed a path through the skaters. The instant the beat dropped, you dashed off in a burst of speed and weaved in and out of the crowd, joyful laughter escaping your core. The more you skated, the happier you felt, and the wider your smile became._

_Without warning, someone hit you. The two of you were sent spinning towards the railing, and you knew there would be pain when you crashed. Colors flashed before your eyes as your world spun out of control, and yet in the midst of the confusion, the stranger gripped you tightly and set down their brakes. The two of you skidded, and you felt yourself fall backwards._

_As quickly as it had started, the spinning stopped. A pair of arms held you as you were leaning back, and instead the ceiling, you found yourself staring into playful purple eyes._

 

_"Why hello there, Madame! I apologize for striking you while you had been skating. It was purely accidental, I assure you." The violet figure flashed a smile, and it was then you realized Seff was holding you as if the two of you were conducting a dance move. You were never in any danger. He had hit you on purpose, and now appeared to be getting some satisfaction out of your flustered face._

 

_"Y-You....." Seff lifted you back on your feet and swiveled out of your personal bubble._

 

_"Relax, _____. I used to be quite the skater back in my day." The words he spoke peaked your interest as you regained your balance._

 

_"Back in your day?" For a split second, you thought you caught a glimpse of surprise in his gaze, but it was quickly replaced with the same quirky smile from before._

 

_"When I was a kid! Mom and dad took me skating all the time." Oblivious to the slight wobble in his voice, you mirrored Seff's grin and took his hand._

 

_"Then let's see how good you really are, purple man!" The instant you finished the sentence, you tugged Seff out onto the floor and began skating backwards to make sure he was following you. Accepting your challenge, he immediately skated ahead of you in an attempt to show you up, but you managed to catch up to him within a few seconds._

_There wasn't much to do in the way of roller skating, but Seff somehow found a way to perform tricks you had never even heard about. All you could really do was skate on one leg, skate backwards, spin, and go forward. You didn't measure up to him at all, and he made this clear by proceeding to pick you up in his arms as he passed. Where you yelped in surprise, Seff laughed in amusement, reveling in that cute little scared face of yours._

 

_Soon enough, you were pouting. "Hey, that's not fair!"_

 

_"What? You wanted to see how well I skated, so I showed you!" He carried you to the edge of the rink as he began to slow down._

 

_"Yeah, but- That- You-" The stuttering continued as the violet figure set you down on your feet again. "I just- I-" A smile._

 

_"So, you're mad about being shown up?" That comment made your embarrassed dialogue stop. There was something about that phrase that seemed very familiar. You knew for a fact that you had heard that same phrase somewhere before, but why would it matter? People say things similar to others all the time, so why did this one bother you? It sounded and even_ felt  _familiar, and you were almost able to remember who had said it, but you couldn't quite- "Hey, _____? Are you alright?"_

 

_You blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I just... I think someone else said something like that, but I don't know who..." While you were lost in thought, the frown on Seff's face went unnoticed. He remembered the moment you were trying to recall. How could he forget when it was the night you nearly smashed his head in with a bat?_

_The man in purple knew you wouldn't be able to put two and two together; he hadn't left enough clues for you to figure him out, and he wanted it to stay that way. The less you knew, the better._

_A sigh was thrown in the air as Seff leaned back against the railing, his mood settling into a kind of peaceful indifference when the music changed once again.* It appeared to be a slow song complete with piano, strings, and various other accompaniment. Time to give the couples a song to skate to, huh?_

 

_"Oh my god." Violet eyes turned back towards you._

 

_"Hm?"_

 

_"I was thinking of this song when I went to sleep. It's from a web series I used to watch called Red vs. Blue, and this was playing during the end credits-" You stopped again, you eyes widening in realization. "It was Springtrap!!"_

 

_Seff visibly stiffened. "What?"_

 

_"This animatronic at work!! He's alive and tried to kill me once, but you said the same thing he did a long time ago when I punched him in the face!!" You slowed down, trying to get your thoughts in order again. "Okokok, hold on. I meant to ask you about him."_

 

_A pause. ".....You want to ask me.....about a rabbit."_

 

_"Yeah, I know. But we became friends not too long ago -at least, I hope we're friends- and now we hang out and talk, but he's been acting really weird and moody lately. I think something's wrong, but I really don't know how to approach him. He's been stuck in a room for thirty years, so his social skills are kind of shot, and I haven't known him long enough to really_ know _him, you know?"_

 

_Seff relaxed, a blank look residing on his face. "Uh....yeah."_

 

_"So I was wondering if you could give me some advice so I won't piss him off again like last time because I'm worried about him, but he won't let me know what's going on. I mean, I know he's a complete stranger that I've only known for four days, but he kind of saved my life, and I.... I want to make sure he's alright."_

 

_"......Ok.... Well, uh..... Judging by how you described this Springtrap guy, I'd say you just outright ask what's wrong."_

 

_"That didn't work so well last time."_

 

_"Then just try again. Maybe he was tired last time....or something."_

 

_You gained a thoughtful look. "Yeah, he did say that..."_

 

_"See? This guy sounds like he's no nonsense, so just be straightforward with him, and I'm sure you'll get some results." A moment passed as you gave his advice some thought before smiling up at him._

 

_"Yeah. Thank you, Seff." For some odd reason, he avoided your gaze and turned away._

 

_"No problem, _____. Let me know if it works out next tim-"_

 

_**DING DONG!**_

 

Your eyes creaked open, the chiming of the bell reverberating throughout the house. As your body struggled to sit up, you rubbed an eye and glanced towards the VCR clock. 10:22.

 

             _ **DING DONG!**_

 

            "Hold on, hold on..." A yawn escaped your lungs as your legs swiveled off the couch and lifted you up. Sleepy footsteps made their way to the front entrance, and once the deadbolt was disabled, you swung the door open. Not a second later, your eyes nearly bulged out of your head.

            There, standing on your porch, was the man who put you in the Spring situation in the first place. With a sheepish grin, Alex lifted a hand and gave you a  _very_  shy wave.

 

            "G-Good morning, _____..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             _"And where the hell have **you**  been, mister??"  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Trocadero - Contact Redux (Ft. Meredith Hagan)  
> *Lindsey Stirling - Beyond the Veil
> 
> Please tell me you get the song reference in the chapter title.


	10. Spooky Scary Skeletons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex needs you to check up on the animatronic.

            Alex's sheepish smile dropped once he got a look at your face. "Oh crap," was all he had time to say before you launched into a full scale rant.

 

            "Do you  _know_  how many times I've been utterly  _terrified_  in the last five days?!?  _I almost died, Alex!!_ I almost suffocated because whoever set up the wiring and whatever didn't think to  _leave enough power for the air conditioning to run on its own!!_ And you knew for a fact that I can't  _stand_  scary stuff, yet you deliberately begged me to watch the place!! Karen would have worked just fine, you know!!"

 

            "I-I-I, uh..." Alex raised a finger to try and get a word in, but you continued before he could start.

 

            "Not only that, but thanks to the stupid air conditioning, the hallucinations I see aren't sunshine and rainbows!! They're almost like those robots from that game Karen made me play with her!!" You paused for a brief moment, trying to recall the name of it. "...Chola, or something like that."

 

            "You mean Soma?" Immediately, an accusing finger was pointed at him again.

 

            " _Yes!_  And guess how I felt when my so called 'friend' didn't tell me the animatronic he found was  _up and running??_ " Alex blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

 

            " _B-But it's not!_ " Your anger began transforming into confusion.

 

            "What do you mean he- it's not? I just saw it working last night; how can it not be running??"

 

            Glad he was finally able to speak, Alex explained why he had come to your door in the first place. "Ok, so the attraction is supposed to open this Monday, right? So, like, I wanted to check that everything was working, and I went to the place this morning a little after you left. All the spooky stuff still looked awesome-good job watching it, by the way- and all that was left was the creepy rabbit dude, but, like, when I tried to get it working, it wouldn't even pop an eye open! I mean, I trust you completely and stuff, but it just wasn't working today andIreally _don'twanttolooklikeanidiotagainiftherabbitdoesn't-_ "

 

            You held up a hand. "Woah, woah, ok, stop." With a deep breath, your anger and confusion dissipated, and you actually began to take pity on the nervous wreck in front of you. "Let me get this straight. You went to check on the animatronic and it wouldn't work, so you came to my house because...." It was then you noticed the pleading gaze you were under, making something click in your mind.

            ".....You want me to go look at it-"

 

            " ** _PLEASE._** " With a sigh, your hand met your face.

 

            "Fine, I'll go look at the dumb rabbit." Rather than jumping with joy, Alex wrapped his arms around your waist and gave you the biggest hug he possibly could.

 

            " _ThankyouthankyouIpromiseyouwon'tregretthis!!_ "

 

            "Yeah, yeah, whatever..." Your friend released you from his enthusiastic grip, and you let loose a yawn. Now that the anger had faded, sleep was once again calling your name.

 

            "I swear I'll make it up to you, ok _____? Cross my heart and stuff!" You nodded. "Ok! Great! Then I'll, like, see you around, alright?" Another nod. Alex tossed another thank you over his shoulder as he fled to his car before you could change your mind. "See you later, buddy!" He started the car and drove off.

            Completely done with the world, you trudged back inside and shut the door, picking up your phone to speed dial Karen. It took a lot to keep yourself from falling back asleep while the line rang, but eventually, your friend picked up.

 

            "Hey girly! How's it hangin'?"

 

            "Hi, Karen."

 

            "You sound hella tired. Are you alright? You're not sick, are you?"

 

            "No. Alex just woke me up, asking me to go check on Springtrap later. He said he wasn't working, and I thought maybe you'd-"

 

            "Absolutely!! I'll definitely come with, _____!!"

 

            "Great. Then I'm going back to sleep. You can meet me there around 7:30, ok? That should be enough hours."

 

            "Alright, see you there!!" Click. The call had ended, giving you the chance to put the phone down with another sigh.

 

            "......Well. Goodnight, world." You crawled back into the comfy nest of blankets on the couch and shut your eyes, the swirling darkness already overtaking you. Deep down inside, you kind of hoped to see Seff again, to hear that voice of his telling you everything would be alright and that Springtrap wasn't dying. That was all you wanted as you arrived in dreamland once again.

 

            Sadly, sleep only consisted of Ultron as a Christian rabbit, multiplying out of control. What a weird dream...

 

\---

 

            The gravel crunched under the tires as your car pulled up to the attraction yet again. After having a bite to eat, you had dressed in casual clothes, considering you weren't on the clock this time.

            The slam of the door echoed as you strode up to the back door and unlocked it, making sure to leave a rock in between the doorway so it wouldn't shut completely and lock you in.

 

            "Karen?" You called for your friend, her car outside revealing she was already here.

 

            "In the office!" You followed the voice into the tiny room, only to see that Springtrap was now out of the chair and sitting next to the doorway. "Did you move him? I'm pretty sure he was in the fancy leather chair when I left."

 

            "No, I didn't. Alex probably did when he came to check things out." The coverup worked smoothly, and Karen only gave a shrug in reply. She decided to look around the actual room since the rabbit had taken nearly all of her attention the last time she had been here.

            You turned to the animatronic, seeing this as your chance to make sure nothing was really wrong. Making sure Karen was still distracted, you lightly tapped Springtrap's side with your shoe. His eyes opened an met yours, a light smile growing on your face when he tossed you a wink.

 

            "Anyway, _____..." The rabbit's eyes closed as Karen turned back towards you. "I don't know how to start. This guy has wires poking out all over the place! It's amazing that it's even holding itself together!"

 

            You threw together the quickest excuse you could think of. "Uh...maybe he has an internal battery or something?" In the corner of your eye, you saw Springtrap flinch.

            What was his problem? You didn't think he really had anything to hide. Maybe he was just uncomfortable with the idea of people poking around inside him? Yeah, that must be it. It made sense, at least. He seemed to be able to feel pain when you punched him a while ago, so it'd probably be really weird to feel all his wires being messed with.

 

            With this thought in mind, your tried to come up with another excuse, but Karen was already coming towards the two of you. "That's it! Did you see the way it twitched just now? It probably needs a new battery, like when a flashlight starts flickering and whatever!" Karen grabbed the bottom of Spring's head and began to pull. A rock formed in your stomach, as you weren't sure what would happen if she managed to take it off.

 

             "Uh, K? I don't think that's a good idea."

 

            "What?" She applied more force. "Are you afraid it'll break or something? It'll be fine, girly." You watched as Karen planted a foot on the wall and pulled harder. "It just...needs....a little...elbow grease!!"

 

             _ **POP!**_

 

            Your friend stumbled back a little, the golden head completely intact in her hands. A smile crept onto her face. "See? I told you! You just gotta trust me, _____!" A moment passed. When you didn't reply, Karen glanced at you. "..._____?"

            Your face had drained of all color. Whatever you were looking at was clearly freaking you out. With a confused look, Karen followed your gaze down to the animatronic...

 

            ...and screamed.

 

             _"Oh my god!! I-Is that a **skull?!?**  How- W-What is-"_ The realization hit her that she was currently holding the rabbit's shell in her hands, and she flung it to the corner, completely disgusted.  _"Grossgrossgrossgrossgross!!!!"_  Her hands felt dirty and impure. Fear and revulsion overtook her mind, and she screamed again.  _"F-Fuck this!! I-I-I can't do this!!"_  Without a second thought, Karen rushed from the room and to her car, taking off as fast as she could and leaving you standing in shock.

            So many things were racing through your head, but you couldn't grasp any thoughts. The magnitude of the situation looked over you and threatened to swallow you whole. It didn't help that once Karen had fled, the skull poking out of the suit turned its gaze to you.

            The sight of the corpse staring at you made your knees wobble, and you stumbled backwards into the spare parts box, one hand on the wall to keep you from falling, and the other slapped over your mouth. Realizing the effect he had on you, Springtrap hurriedly received his head and shoved it back on.

 

            "_͡_̨___̸?͢ A̡re ̶y̴o̴u ̀aĺrig̕h͜t͟?̵" No. You weren't alright. The world was spinning, and a horrible taste was rising from the back of your throat. You had no choice but to slide down the box and sit.

 

            "I...I-I think I'm gonna be sick.." With reflexes of lightning, the golden rabbit grabbed the small trash can under the desk and pushed it towards you. It was only a matter of seconds before your stomach purged itself, and Spring felt worse and worse the more you upchucked your previous meal.

            You had to stop for breath, grateful for every ounce of air gulped down, but one more round of purging was working its way up. "O-Oh God... Y-You.." The contents of your stomach were emptied again, but it passed fairly quickly, and you were finally able to breath again.

 

            Unsure how to proceed, Springtrap began to step towards you, deciding to put a comforting hand on your shoulder. "___͠_̴_, I͢-"

 

            " _NO!!_ " You instantly curled up, trying to create as much distance possible between you and the walking corpse. He froze, a horrid feeling of guilt settling in what used to be his stomach.

 

            ".̸...͜._̨_͝_͘_̧_?" Springtrap knelt down and gently extended a hand towards you, trying so hard not to scare you. Unfortunately, you just hid your face and curled up tighter.

 

             _"P-please! Don't touch me!!"_  The rabbit lowered his hand as the void inside him grew larger. You had seen what he was trying to hide, and now there was no consoling you. He had permanently hurt you, and it was all his fault. Had he known that stupid person would come over to check on everything, he would have saved his visit to you for another night. Now here you were, cowering before him, filled with fear, just the way you were when he first met you.

            Springtrap slumped onto the ground. There was no point to this. No matter how much he wanted to help, it wouldn't work. He'd just spread more fear like he always did.

 

            ".͟.͝.̧.͠.I'm̀ s̴oŗr̛y,̀ ̛_____.͝.́." Yet again, you flinched. You wanted nothing to do with this rabbit anymore, and when you discovered he had backed away a little, you saw your chance. Without hesitation, you sprang up and bolted for the exit, removing the rock and slamming the door behind you. You didn't even relax in the car until you had driven quite a ways away and were almost home.

            Springtrap did nothing to stop you. It was useless, after all. The one fear he felt when he saw you had now come to pass.

            You would never return, and he would be alone again. Trapped with the phantoms of those he had killed.

 

 

            Forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Springtrap is geniunely upset about this. You'll understand exactly how much it upset him later on.


	11. Deception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Springtrap wants you to come back.
> 
> So he makes another plan.

            Gravel crunched as you yet again pulled up to your house. In a daze, you stumbled through the front door before going back out to lock the car. The horrifying images plaguing your mind were throwing you off way more than your nightmares ever did. The dreams were just dreams, but Springtrap..... He was real.

            There was no denying it. You had befriended-or at least acquainted-a living corpse. How had you not noticed before?? The holes in his suit from rotting for thirty years had provided a clear view of various tendons that may have yet decayed, the phantoms had been trying to keep you away from him, and- oh god. The horrible smell when you had given him a hug. That was the lingering scent of decay still clinging to the animatronic.

            The imagery that came with these thoughts was enough to upset your stomach again, and you went rushing for the kitchen trash can. You had barely gripped the edges when your stomach rid itself of its contents for the third time in less than an hour. The taste of bile burned in the back of your throat, and you would've gotten a glass of water if you didn't think the cycle would start again.

            That drink would have to wait, in the end. The memory of that hug once again flashed into your head, and you immediately felt dirty. Filthy. Contaminated, even. Without a second thought, you rushed upstairs to the bathroom to jump into the shower, hoping to wipe away the dirty secret you had discovered.

            As the water turned warm, an onslaught of thoughts broke into your mind. How did Spring end up that way? Why was he trapped like that in a room in the first place? How was he even still moving? So many things were racing around, but there was only one constant question being asked, and it unsettled just about ever fiber of your being as you stepped into the falling water.

 

            Who was it you've been talking to...?

 

\--

 

            Springtrap was annoyed with himself. Already you had discovered one of his secrets and flipped out, but after you ran, he started sulking, beating himself up for various mistakes. How  _dare_  he drop his guard so low that the rabbit head was removed?? He had become  _soft!_  All that time he spent emotionally distancing himself from others  _wasted_  in a matter of  _five days_. Thirty years ago, he wouldn't have let something like this happen.

            Then again, that was the past. This was the present. No longer was he the unstoppable child murderer whom nobody could pinpoint. Now he was just a body trapped inside a shell, with his only escape being his thoughts and your dreams.

 

            ....Wait a minute.

 

            It was then the gears in his mind began turning, a dubious plan starting to form. You were now beyond terrified of Springtrap, but  _Seff_  on the other hand...

            Oh, yes. This would work. Seff had been your knight in shining armor -purple armor, technically- when the phantoms were giving you nightmares, and he had even given you advice when Springtrap's outburst had made you worry. If he could continue playing the hero, then he might even be able to convince you to give the rabbit another chance. And he knew just the children to help him with that.

 

            "God́, ͠Se͏f̢f̨,͠ h̕o҉w̨ stup̴i͝d  ͞c̀an̛ ̨you̷ be...̨?" He changed the pitch of his voice, making it appear like he was still sulking. He'd have to draw out one of the phantoms with his 'pathetic cries' and trick them into helping him. Whether they invaded your dreams to check on you or scare you, it didn't matter. Either way, he'd save you again from the evil animatronics.

            At first, no one appeared. It took a few deep sighs and a face palm, but eventually someone took the bait.

 

            "Ẃἔłł, ᾧἔłł. Ŀὄὄќ ᾧђᾄҭ ᾧἔ ђᾄvἔ ђἔʀἔ." Springtrap groaned inwardly  _and_  outwardly.

 

            "Go͜ a̶wa͞ý,̷ F͢re͠dd̨y͏.̕" 

 

            "Ɲὄᾧ, ᾧђẏ ᾧὄὗłḋ Ἷ ḋὄ ҭђᾄҭ? Ҭђᾄҭ Ŀἷҭҭłἔ ϐἷʀḋẏ ὄғ ẏὄὗʀṩ ἷṩ ƈłἔᾄʀłẏ ʀἔῥὗłṩἔḋ вẏ ẏὄὗ ᾗὄᾧ. Ἷ ҭђὄὗʛђҭ Ἷ ƈὄὗłḋ ќἔἔῥ ẏὄὗ ƈὄмῥᾄᾗẏ,  _Ṩἔғғ_." The venom was practically dripping off his name. Good. This would be easier than convincing him that Golden Freddy wanted to say 'hi'.

 

            "I'̶m̷ not i̢ǹ t̢he̴ mood͝, a̢l̢r͞i̵g͘ht?̵"

 

            "Ὓὄὗ'ʀἔ ᾗἔvἔʀ ἷᾗ ҭђἔ мὄὄḋ." Springtrap turned away, pretending to try and ignore the bear. As he expected, it didn't work. "Ὓὄὗ ќᾗὄᾧ, _____ ῥʀὄвᾄвłẏ ᾧὄὗłḋ ђᾄvἔ ғὄὗᾗḋ ὄὗҭ ἔvἔᾗ ἷғ ҭђἔ ʀἔṩҭ ὄғ ὗṩ ḋἷḋᾗ'ҭ ҭʀẏ ҭὄ ṩƈᾄʀἔ ђἔʀἔ ᾄᾧᾄẏ. ᾋłł ẏὄὗʀ łἷҭҭłἔ ᾄҭҭἔмῥҭṩ ҭὄ вἔ ᾗἷƈἔ ҭὄ ђἔʀἔ? Ҭђἔẏ'ʀἔ ᾗὄҭђἷᾗʛ. Ṩђἔ ђᾄҭἔṩ ẏὄὗ ᾗὄᾧ, ᾄᾗḋ ṩђἔ'ṩ ᾗἔvἔʀ ƈὄмἷᾗʛ вᾄƈќ. Ἕvἔʀẏҭђἷᾗʛ ὗῥ ҭὄ ҭђἷṩ ῥὄἷᾗҭ ђᾄṩ вἔἔᾗ ᾄłł. Ὓὄὗʀ. Ғᾄὗłҭ. Ȗṩ ђᾄὗᾗҭἷᾗʛ ẏὄὗ, ʛἔҭҭἷᾗʛ ṩҭὗƈќ ἷᾗ ҭђᾄҭ ṩὗἷҭ, ṩƈᾄʀἷᾗʛ ᾄᾧᾄẏ ҭђἔ ὄᾗἔ ῥἔʀṩὄᾗ ᾧђὄ мἷʛђҭ ђᾄvἔ ʛἷvἔᾗ ẏὄὗ ᾄ ƈђᾄᾗƈἔ; ᾄłł ʛὄᾗἔ. ϐἔƈᾄὗṩἔ ὄғ ẏὄὗ.

            ᾋᾗḋ ẏὄὗ ќᾗὄᾧ ҭђἔ вἔṩҭ ῥᾄʀҭ ᾄвὄὗҭ ᾄłł ҭђἷṩ? Ὓὄὗ ῥʀὄвᾄвłẏ ҭђὄὗʛђҭ ṩђἔ ƈὄὗłḋ ƈђᾄᾗʛἔ ҭђἷᾗʛṩ! Ὓὄὗ ʀἔᾄłłẏ ҭђὄὗʛђҭ ҭђᾄҭ ʛἷʀł, ҭђᾄҭ ṩҭὗῥἷḋ ƈὄᾧᾄʀḋ, ƈὄὗłḋ ђἔłῥ ẏὄὗ!" This made the rabbit stiffen. By insulting you, Freddy had hit a nerve that the murderer didn't even know existed. Of course, the phantom took notice and decided to continue.

            "Ṩђἔ ƈᾄᾗ'ҭ ḋὄ ᾄᾗẏҭђἷᾗʛ, ẏὄὗ ἷḋἷὄҭ. Ҭђᾄҭ ʛἷʀł ἷṩ ᾄ ẏἔłłὄᾧ, ṩῥἷᾗἔłἔṩṩ ᾧἔᾄќłἷᾗʛ. Ṩђἔ ƈὄὗłḋᾗ'ҭ ἔvἔᾗ ῥʀὄῥἔʀłẏ ḋἔғἔᾗḋ ђἔʀṩἔłғ ὄᾗ ҭђἔ ṩἔƈὄᾗḋ ᾗἷʛђҭ! Ὓὄὗ ṩђὄὗłḋ ђᾄvἔ ќἷłłἔḋ ђἔʀ ᾧђἔᾗ ẏὄὗ ђᾄḋ ҭђἔ ƈђᾄᾗƈἔ-"

 

            "SḨÙT̵ U͡P͝." With unknown speed, Springtrap grabbed the Chica bobble head from the desk and threw it at Freddy's eye. It hit its mark, and the as he yelled in pain, the rabbit couldn't help but wonder how that actually hurt.

 

            "ƉᾋṂƝ ἿҬ ṨƤȒἿƝƓ, Ἷ'Ṃ ƝὋҬ ƉὋƝἝ-"

 

            "ϐłἷмἔẏ Ғʀἔḋ, ᾧἷłł ẏἔ ʝὗṩҭ ẏἔʀ ҭʀᾄῥ ᾄłʀἔᾄḋẏ?!?" Foxy was standing in the corner he always appeared, an annoyed gleam in his eye. "Ҭђ' ʀᾄввἷҭ ἷṩ ᾄłʀἔᾄḋẏ ᾧᾄłłὄᾧἷᾗ' ἷᾗ мἷṩἔʀẏ; ḋὄ ẏἔ ʀἔᾄłłẏ ᾗἔἔḋ ҭ' ᾄᾗҭᾄʛὄᾗἷẓἔ 'ἷм??" Both Freddy and Springtrap gave him a glare, but feeling particularly attacked, the bear huffed and stomped out of the room. Foxy shook his head. "ᾋłᾧᾄẏṩ ὄᾗ ᾄᾗ' ὄᾗ, ҭђᾄҭ ὄᾗἔ."

 

            "W̛hat do͠ ̛y̧ou ͜ w̵a͢ņt?͞"

 

            "Ἷ ʝὗṩ' ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ҭђἷᾗќ ἷҭ вἔ ʀἷʛђҭ ҭ' вἔ ҭὄʀҭὗʀἷᾗ' ṩὄмἔὄᾗἔ ᾧђὄ ᾄłʀἔᾄḋẏ ќᾗὄᾧṩ ҭђἔẏ мἔṩṩἔḋ ὗῥ." The golden animatronic turned away. In truth, he was a bit thankful that the pirate had driven off Freddy before he could lose sight of his plan in anger. Maybe it would work better with him instead.

 

            "W̸h̕at̡e͡ve̴r.̴.͘.̢" A sigh was heard.

 

            "ᾋђ, ᾧἔłł. Ἷ ṩ'ῥὄṩἔ Ἷ ƈᾄᾗ'ҭ ἔẋῥἔƈҭ ᾄ 'ҭђᾄᾗќ ẏὄὗ.' Ἷ'м ʝὗṩ' ᾧὄʀʀἷἔḋ 'вὄὗҭ ҭђ' ῥὄὄʀ łᾄṩṩ. Ṩђἔ ḋἷḋᾗ'ҭ ʀἔᾄłłẏ ҭᾄќἔ ἷҭ ᾧἔłł."

 

            "Í kno͠w, F̡òx̕y."

 

            "Ὓἔ ᾗἔᾄʀłẏ ṩƈᾄʀἔḋ 'ἔʀ ʀἷʛђҭ ҭ' ḋἔᾄҭђ."

 

            " _I̢_   _k̸n͜òw͝_ , F́o̕x̸y."

 

            "ᾋᾗ' ṩђἔ ʀἔᾄłłẏ ḋἷḋ ᾄ ᾗὗмвἔʀ ὄᾗ ҭђᾄҭ ҭʀᾄṩђ вἷᾗ-" Spring turned on him.

 

            "I ̶k͝no͘w̢,̷ F͡ox̷y!͘! ͞If ̨yo̡u'̀re s̕o ͡f͢u҉c҉k̴ing͠ ͞w̕orr̛i̵ęd, w͢hy҉ d͝on't̢ y͢ou͞ ̢g͡ǫ ta͟l͢k͞ ̵wit̛h h̡e̶r̡?!̸" The two watched each other for a moment, one glaring, one simply staring back.

 

            "....Ғἷᾗἔ. Ἷ'łł łἔᾄvἔ ẏἔ вἔ ҭђἔᾗ." The captain turned to leave the room.

 

            "Sh̶e's ̕no͘t̷ go̷nna͜ ͟l͟i̧s͡te̡n̨ t̕o̕ ͢you̶." Foxy tossed him a look over his shoulder.

 

            "ᾋҭ łἔᾄṩҭ ṩђἔ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ђᾄvἔ ҭ' łἷṩҭἔᾗ ҭ' ҭђᾄҭ вἔᾄʀ." Springtrap watched him go, knowing that the fox would see if you were alright. If his skull still had facial muscles, he would be grinning. Everything was going according to plan.

 

            "He͠h͟. D͡um̸b́ ki̵d͘. A̶l͘w̧ays ̵w͘aş ͝a ̧blee̶ding heart͘." A small chuckle echoed in the empty room. This was the first real plan he had made in over thirty years, and everything was flowing smoothly. You'd freak out at the phantom, he'd swoop in and save you, convince you to go back, and everything would be alright. Nobody would leave, and no one would come between you and him. Now the smile on the rabbit's shell didn't feel so forced. In fact, it felt kind of fitting. He could probably learn to like that smile.

 

 

 

 

            "It's ̴ok,͟ _̀__̕__͟_͜. ͜I ̀can͢ f͞i͜x͞ this. Doǹ't wor͟r͏ý y͝our p͜re͠t̵ty̧ ̧l̶it̢tl̛e hea̴d ̷a͟bou͝t it..̛."


	12. According to Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You struggle with the fact that you've become friends with a corpse. Someone new comes to play.

            You know how people say a quick wash in the tub wipes away the deed? Turns out, it doesn't do crap. That shower hadn't made the fact that you had hugged a corpse any less horrifying, but at least you were physically clean again. The warm water and steam had also helped clear your mind, so now you could think a little more clearly as you threw your uniform in the wash for the umpteenth time. Everything about Springtrap disturbed you to no end. When you really looked at all the facts, you knew next to nothing about him. A walking, talking animatronic who used to be a human protects you from the ghosts of other animatronics when you go to work at night, and you don't even know the name of the person you've become friends with.

            Hold up, that still didn't feel right. All this time, you considered Springtrap a friend, but with this whole situation, it was possible that you two weren't friends at all. Hell, he probably didn't even see you as one. Maybe you were just another stupid girl who was way in over her head. A disgrace to the uniform that you-

            Yeah, no. The out fit you wore at night didn't even really seem like a uniform. It was just a shirt and some pants thrown together at the last minute. Maybe you'd spruce it up by getting someone to sew the words  _Night Guard_  on your hat. You never really wore the thing, anyway. Not enough sun outside. Kind of a waste of money if you thought about it.

            A groan escaped your mouth. All this thinking was starting to become monotonous. It was always either something sickeningly horrible, downright depressing, or simple thoughts about things that didn't really matter. Time for a change, perhaps?

            Without even thinking about it, you grabbed a controller and began setting up to play one of the more relaxing games you owned. Even though you had your Wii, it wasn't really the console for the job right now. Regardless of what platform it would be on, you were going to play a relaxing game, and you were going to  _love it._

 

            In a matter of two and a half hours, you had successfully rid your mind of all worries. Whoever said video games were bad for you clearly didn't know what they were talking about. Perhaps they had never dealt with an undead corpse in a suit trying to protect you from the ghosts of broken animatronics before? Either way, you now felt completely relaxed. In fact, it was getting harder and harder to stay awake. Good thing you had taken a break in the middle of playing to indulge in a personal food favorite. There would be no trouble falling asleep now.

            Finally content, you somewhat sluggishly shut down the gaming console and put the game and controller back in their places. The stairs didn't really appeal to you like your bed did, but the journey to the top was made anyway, a reward of plush blankets and soft cushion waiting at the end of the hall. As you sank into a world of fluffy comfort, the room almost immediately giving way to sleep, you couldn't help but wonder about your purple protector. He had the best of intentions, but his advice was never able to be used really. Something always got in the way. He would probably be a little irritated about that. Maybe you could just hang out and talk for a bit, try to ask for help about your most recent undead problem. Or maybe the two of you could go back to Six Flags! That would be good too. Anything to try and resolve all this newfound chaos...

 

\--

 

             _The minute you opened your eyes, you immediately cursed Alex for dragging you into that job. Where else would you appear except Freddy Fazbear's Pizza? Unsurprisingly, it was the newer building again, complete with the toy animatronics onstage and many children screaming loudly in joy and excitement. At least this visit was during the day time and not after hours._

 

_You stole a glance at the corner the Puppet had been at -it looked like a prize counter in the light- and noticed that instead of hiding in it's box, the strange animatronic was handing out gifts to various kids that had earned enough tickets to receive them. Somehow, the smile it held still seemed eerie in the daytime._

 

_"Hi!" You leaped away from the sudden voice to your left, freezing when you saw who the source was. BB, clean and unburned, stood a few feet away, a large plastic ballon gripped tight in his robotic hand._

 

_"Uh......hi...."_

 

_"An' a nice hello t' ye too, ______!" With all of your attention on BB, you hadn't noticed Foxy approaching you from the right. Immediately, you jumped away again._

 

_"Jesus Christ, don't do that!!"_

 

_"Aye, sorry lass. I jus' need t' talk t' ye about somethin' real important." This statement made you raise a brow._

 

_"....You're not gonna give me nightmares?" The pirate fox shook his head._

 

_"Nay, that hasn't been workin' out. Ye may not know it, but th' crew an' I would never hurt ye." Even though it was probably meant to be comforting, Foxy's words only made you more suspicious._

 

_"Yeah, sure you wouldn't. Just like you wouldn't attack Seff for no reason." Mentioning your savior seemed to cause some sort of reaction from Foxy. Due to his metallic casing, you couldn't tell whether it was fear, resentment, or worry. Maybe all three._

 

_"There be a reason behind everythin' I do, lass. That man ain't protectin' ye, he's puttin' ye in danger! And every moment ye spend with him is only makin' it worse! Th' only way we could help ye was by tryin' t' scare ye away, but that cursed rabbit keeps ruinin' everythin'!"_

 

_"Wait, hold up. What does Springtrap have to do with all the nightmares? He's stuck at the attraction." A sigh._

 

_"Ye have a lot t' learn, lassie. Ye think Seff n' Springtrap be two separate people?" Growing more and more confused, you nodded slowly. "______. He's lying. Th' truth is bein' hidden from ye, an' yer not safe with-" Someone grabbed your shoulders and gently pulled you away from the animatronic._

 

_"HEY, Foxy! I didn't know you liked messing with a girls head!" You immediately recognized the voice of your yet again savior. At least, you thought he had saved you. Every time he came around, he removed you from any scary situation or you two just had fun playing around. He had only brought you joy, so he must be good. Right?_

 

_"Ah, speak o' th' Devil. Comin' in fer another hero act, are ye?" The smile on Seff's face lessened._

 

_"...What?"_

 

_"There's no playin' dumb, lad. Someone caught wind o' yer little plan." Feeling eyes watching, you turned your gaze back to the prize corner. The children were gone and the Puppet just stood there, staring ceaselessly at the four of you. Breaking eye contact, you looked around, realizing that the entire pizzeria was now empty again. Foxy had told you he wasn't going to give you nightmares, but things seemed to be heading that way regardless. That liar._

 

_"Seff... I don't like this..." Truth be told, neither did he. Foxy wasn't supposed to know what he was going to do. He never said it out loud, so that stupid Puppet probably figured it out during his last conversation. God, he hated how much it thought about things. Without realizing it, he had pulled you just a bit closer._

 

_"Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe you should stop lying to ______ and leave us alone." That statement only made Foxy smile. At least, it looked like one._

 

_"Aye, but we've consulted an ol' friend o' yers, an' he says this plot sounds like somethin' ye would do." A frown decorated Seff's face now._

 

_"There's no one else, captain. Just you and your little makeshift crew. Now stop screwing with us and-.....Oh." One surprised expression later, Seff was pulling you along down the hallways, rushing with an urgency that made you uneasy._

 

_"Wait! W-Where are we going?!"_

 

_"Ye can run, but ye can't hide from 'im!" Dread replaced the confusion while you were lead to an unknown destination. Perhaps the front door again, as that would make the most sense. But what was the reason for the sudden escape? The person must be bad if he had Seff running away, making the weight in your stomach heavier._

 

_"Who are we running from??" A left turn. Since you had appeared near the stage, the exit wasn't that far away, and for that you were grateful, but there were still questions needing answers._

 

_"Trust me, ______, this guy is bad news! He's really old, but if he's after us, then we can't be around when he comes!"_

 

_"What-"_

 

_"You know how Freddy is a bear, right? Well, so is this guy, but he's much worse than any of the animatronics! He's right up there with the Puppet, and believe me, we don't want to be on his business end!" While all this was fine and dandy information, you still had no idea who or what had the two of you fleeing. The exit was now in sight, and although there seemed to be something piled in front of it, you knew there wasn't much time  for you to ask your final question. If you wanted an answer, you'd have to do it now._

 

_"What's his name??"_

 

_"Jeez, you ask a lot of question, Birdy!"_

 

_"Just tell me!!"_ _The light of the doors grew closer and closer._

 

_"Fine, fine! He never really talks, so no one got his name, but everyone just calls him-" Seff skidded to a stop just before the entrance, bracing himself for when you bumped into his back. Frustrated and confused again, you peered around him to see why your escape was cut short, only for your heart to stop in your chest._

_The pile you had seen in front of the doors earlier was not made of blankets or spare parts. Instead, a silhouette  was partially illuminated by the light, revealing a bright yellow bear blocking the exit in a crumpled heap. It's mouth was open in a perpetual scream, and parts of it were torn and broken off, stray wires poking out everywhere. This bear had appeared out of nowhere, not making a single sound, but what scared you the most was the two white pupils staring directly at your purple shield._

_The fear was great, and you would have run immediately, but you still needed one last bit of information._

 

_"S....Seff..?" In the silence, you heard him gulp._

 

_"...You still want to know his name?" After a moment, you nodded hesitantly._

 

 

 

 

 

_".......Golden Freddy."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN!!


	13. The Phantom Menace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Run.

_If you thought Freddy was scary, then his golden counterpart was downright terrifying. It helped a little to know he wasn't staring at you, but the person he was watching didn't make things any less confusing. This dream-nightmare?-seemed to be focused around Seff rather than yourself, and considering the things being said about him were less than euphoric, a few thoughts in your head had popped up. Many questions were swirling around uncontrollably, much in the way they had for Springtrap, but truth be told, you didn't want to think about them. You just_ really _wanted to wake up._

 

_"Hey buddy." Seff's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. "How's life?"_

 

_No response._

 

_"....Right.... Well, I hate to be a bother, but could you maybe not sit in front of the door? We really have to go, so I'd appreciate it if you'd move out of our way." Still nothing. Golden Freddy clearly didn't like him._

 

_"Um..." The two pinpricks switched to you, effectively sending chills down your spine. Seff shifted in front of you protectively._

 

_"Don't talk to him, ______. He's dangerous." Another strained moment of silence passed before the bear mysteriously faded into nothing, leaving the two of you slightly confused._

 

_"...How did he do that?" Instead of answering, Seff grabbed your hand and tugged you along._

 

_"Come on, we're leaving." He had passed through the doors, only to curse under his breath. It seemed that the two of you had_ entered _the pizzeria instead of exiting._

 

_"What the-"_

 

_"We need to hide." You were pulled yet again through the building, passing the various spots of each animatronic and into an office-like room. In a way, it reminded you of the one at work as the two of you huddled under the cover of the desk. It was a tight fit._

 

_"H-How did we end up back here?" The purple man rolled his eyes at the thought as if it annoyed him to even speak about the bear._

 

_"Goldy is always doing this kind of crap. I think he manipulates the space around him or something like that. Though, it wouldn't explain the hallucinations..." He dropped off into silence, leaving you to your thoughts again._

_The fact that there were two Freddy's did not sit well with you. While they may have the same name, they certainly didn't have the same personality. Brown Freddy was very direct, while Golden Freddy seemed to hang back a bit more. The original was already quite aggressive as well. Here's to hoping the golden one isn't worse._

_In the midst of these thoughts, a sudden realization hit you, bringing back a disgusted feeling to your stomach._

 

_"....He looks like Springtrap...."  This greatly confused the purple guard._

 

_"....Is that good or bad?" You curled up in a ball, just as you did when the secret was discovered._

 

_"Bad. It's very bad...." For a moment, everything was quiet. Seff pretended to not know what had gone on, reveling in the fact that things were still going according to plan._

 

_"______, did something happen between the two of you?"_

 

_"I... I saw under his shell..."_

 

_"Uh, ok. S'just a bunch of wires, no need to-"_

 

_"There was a dead body." Silence._

 

_"......Oh......... How did, uh... What did he do?" Though the subject made you increasingly uncomfortable, you knew that ignoring it would only make things worse. Perhaps this time Seff's advice would actually work and nothing would interrupt._

 

_"H-He just kept asking if I was alright and apologized. I ran out before things got worse..."_

 

_"Yeesh. Tough day, huh..." An awkward tension filled the air, and your friend sighed before continuing. "Look, I'm sorry that happened to you. I don't really know the guy, so I can't speak for him, but from what you described, he probably didn't even mean for you to see that. Was he always keeping his distance before this?" You nodded hesitantly. "Then he was probably taking that into account. I don't know how you weren't scared to death by a walking, talking, decaying animatronic, but I think Springtrap knew his chances were slim and didn't want to scare you anymore than he already did."_

 

_"....I....I guess..." So far, so good. Now it was time to win back your favor._

 

_"If I were you, I'd go talk to him." Going by the look you gave him, the idea really didn't sit well with you. "I'm not saying go hug him or anything! Just, you know, hear him out. Let him explain why things are like that. It's probably a sensitive subject, to be honest. I wouldn't be surprised if he were still sulking." Now that he mentioned it, the rabbit never tried to stop you from running that day. He had just sat there, watching you flee in terror. Again._

 

_"...Really?"_

 

_"Yeah. Things like that are hard on people. At least, I think he's a person. It's no surprise he tried to keep it from you. Your reaction probably didn't help, but it's not you're fault either. I think you had every right to freak out, but.... Try to see things from Spring's point of view. Alright?" He let some time pass for the words to sink in. After all, you never had the chance to try his advice. Perhaps this golden nugget would ease the tension between you and Springtrap. It'd be nice to be friends again..._

 

_"...Ok." A smile finally settled on your face. "I'll give it a shot." Seff gave you a side-hug as best as he could in close quarters._

 

_"Awesome. I'm sure things will be fine, just-"_

 

_The desk was flipped over your heads, and a large hand raised the purple guard in the air by his collar. All you could do was sit in shock as Golden Freddy sharply turned and launched him across the room into the darkness of the main hallway. He appeared to be quite angry and began to stomp towards the sound of painful whimpers._

 

_"WAIT!" You jumped up and latched onto the bear's arm, trying to tug him away from the office entrance. "Don't hurt him, you don't understand!!" Two empty holes turned in your direction. It took all your might not to let go in fear of what he might do, but Golden Freddy made no move to push you away. In fact, that stare he was giving you seemed sad somehow. Was he...pitying you?_

_A set of footsteps rapidly approached from the hallway. Before either of you knew it, Seff had jumped onto the bear and jammed something into his neck area. From this angle, you weren't able to see what it was, but with Golden Freddy trying to throw him off, it was probably painful._

 

_"Good job distracting him, ______! Just keep holding on tight, ok?"_

 

_"Huh??" You were greatly confused why you needed to do so, but continued holding onto the bears arm just in case. Everything had become chaotic again, leaving you miles behind the others. You had no idea_ what _was going on._

_Golden Freddy desperately grabbed at Seff, but the guard held on as tightly as you did, wrenching the shiny item -was that a knife?!- out of his shell. Just as Karen did with Springtrap, the purple man tugged and pulled at the bears head with all his might. It was too similar for comfort as you continued to watch, an anxious feeling gnawing at your gut. What was with people and pulling off heads?_

 

_**POP!**_

 

_For the second time that day, your heart leaped into your throat, and you let go of the bear. With both his arms free, Golden Freddy began grappling with his enemy and slamming him against the wall in an attempt to get him off, leaving you to your panicked and confused thoughts._

_There was nothing under the shell. No rotting corpse, and not even one of those endoskeletons you had read about. Nothing. That being said, what shocked you had been just as unexpected. It wasn't the lack of matter in the suit that bothered you. Rather, it was the wide, sadistic grin Seff had gained while disassembling the bear. Something about it set off all kinds of alarms in your head, as the smiles he wore were always calm or playful. This one didn't match the man you had grown to know...or maybe... Was there something he hadn't told you?_

 

_"SHIT." A loud crash followed by a surprised scream caught your attention, and what you saw was not pleasant. Golden Freddy had finally removed the purple nuisance, suspending him by the arm. That horrible sound you heard had been Seff being thrown against the wall before being caught by a grip so strong, not even the jaws of life would remove it._

 

_"Oh my god." Your thoughts were derailed as you realized just how serious this bear really was, and with him reaching for the knife that had been dropped, things weren't going to end well._

 

_"N-Now would be a good time to wake up, ______!" Speaking of whom, your friend didn't look so good. The strange smile he had was replaced with worry, and he didn't seem to happy about the position he was in. Knowing this, it was definitely time to wake up._

_You had never tried this trick before. Some of your friends back in high school said it was as easy as pressing a button, so you could only hope it would work. Holding onto that nervous feeling, you focused on opening your eyes, really wanting to wake up with all your heart. When nothing happened, you nearly lost concentration, but the fear of Seff getting hurt only hardened your resolve as you continued to-_

 

The sound of singing birds hit your ears as the ceiling came into view. With a great sigh, you heaved yourself up into a sitting position.

 

            "That bear is crazy..."

 

\--

 

            About an hour or so had passed since you had woken up, and you had just finished a slightly early brunch. Everything was still crazy, but at least you were able to think more clearly now. Karen was most likely still trying to rationalize what she had seen. You'd have to talk to her sooner or later, but for now, there were more pressing matters.

            The words of advice from Seff were reasonable and just, but the thought of going back to the attraction yet  _again_  sent your stomach swirling. You, quite understandably, still hadn't completely over the shock of discovering a talking corpse, after all. There were many things about Springtrap that had deeply unsettled you at one point or another, and this one took the cake. Whether things would turn out well or not, you didn't know, but you knew you had to try. For a while, you thought about writing another letter to explain what you were feeling and why you reacted the way you did, but were reminded that this was about Springtrap.

            Your purple friend was right.  _He_  had to be the one to talk, not you. There was no way either of you could move on without discussing things.

            It took a couple hours for you to mentally prepare yourself, but at 1:15, you were finally ready to confront your fear again. This talk was essential for you to come to terms with the golden rabbit, so there was no backing out, no matter how much you wanted to. In the end, this would be something entirely unavoidable. Either way, you had to steel yourself during the drive to the attraction.

            Unsurprisingly, there was one phrase you continued to repeat over and over in your mind, and it helped as the car pulled in front of the building. Exiting the vehicle was just as difficult as stepping up to the front door, but the mantra you had come up with made it possible for you to walk through the empty corridors. Even as you approached the window in front of the office, that phrase made everything possible. Fear didn't matter; you had to do this.

 

 

            For Seff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a way, this is technically still a crush on Springtrap, but the reader just isn't aware of it yet.


	14. Caught in the Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Springtrap have a little talk.

            It was times like this that made you wish you had brought a hot cup of something strong. Either way, the chill sent up your spine at the sight of Springtrap was really unwelcome. The rabbit wasn't even facing you. He was sitting in the corner, sulking like a child sent to time-out. To be honest, it looked a little.....pathetic.

 

            ".....Um...." The animatronic tensed up again, probably from surprise, and turned around in order to see who had spoken.

 

            "..͢..͘_____̡?" 

 

            "Uh....yeah. It's me." You awkwardly stood in the doorway as Springtrap got to his feet, taking note that he didn't move from the corner. Most likely to keep from scaring you away again.

 

            "Why͏ are ͢y͢o̢u back?̛ I͠ thoug͡ht y̶ou were̛ afraid ̛o̵f ̕ m͢e." Not knowing what to say, you had to improvise a sentence with whatever came to mind.

 

            "Well...I guess you're not...as scary anymore?"

 

            "I͝'m ̴a ̶dead  ͠p͠er̛son͠ r̢ott̨ing ̕in ̧a rob̸o̷t̴ic̷ ̧shel̕l̸,̧ ̢r͏ȩme͠m͡b͟er? ̵Y͝o͜u̵'̕re͠ ̡n̷ơt a͘fr̸a͝i͡d̵ ͡of t͘hat??̶" The cold tone of voice wasn't unexpected, especially from Spring. After all, anyone would be sensitive after big secret of theirs was revealed and their only friend(?) ran out on them. Regardless of the queasy feeling in your stomach, you stayed in the doorway, trying to convince the rabbit to drop his guard again.

 

            "Uh...no?" Another one of those moments of silence. It would usually bother you, but in reality, the quiet gave you some time to calm your nerves.

 

            ".̶.̢..Y͟ou̵ ͠wa͠nt͢ t̶o k̢now̸ ̛wh͟y." He immediately recorded a nod, to which he sighed in response. "Al͘r͠i̸g͞ht.̡ It͡'͢s͟ o̢nly fair͢ ͏t̕o͟-" Without warning a loud noise similar to radio static began blaring from the other side of the window.

 

            "Ὃ̶̵̨̨̛Ŀ͟͡Ẃ̷̛͝͞Ẃ̴Ὃ̸̡̕Ἤ̴͘͘͜͝ ̷̷͝Ἕ͟͡Ŀ̷̧͢͟҉Ȗ͟҉̢Ɠ̶͘͢͠,̧̡̛ ̶̨͡͡͠Ɠ͡҉Ȓ̶̨͜Q̧͠'͟͞Ẃ̶͞ ͡͞Ὃ҉͘͢Ŀ̛͘͟͢V̢͢͠Ẃ̸̡͡Ἤ̵̸͝͡Q̕͜͡ ̢͢͠͡Ẃ̶̴̛͡͡Ȓ͏̸ ̴̸Ḱ̶̡͢Ŀ̸̧͢͜͡V҉͠͏͟ ͏̸̴̕͝Ὃ͟͏̴͟Ŀ̷̕͟͞Ἤ̨͡V̶̕͟" You flinched in fear at the sound, not knowing who or what was producing it, but Springtrap quickly located the source. There was a familiar looking fox head peeking over the bottom of the office window.

 

            "M̶a͘n̷gl̢e̴,͞ shut ̕yo҉ur ̛mout͞h!̸! ̨Th̶er͠e̕'͞s n̷ǫ u̷s͢e ̵i͢n̕ ̢t͏ry͏ing͏  ͞t̵o ҉şc͝are̕ h͠e̴ŗ mo͏re th͡an ̷I̸ a̶lre͝ady̸ ̧h̴a͡v͏e͘!!" The strange phantom ceased it's screaming, probably from surprise, but it continued nonetheless.

 

            "ϐ̷̷̡͟͞Ȓ̸͘Ẋ̸̡҉ ̷̡͡Ɲ̵̶̧̕Q̶͠Ȓ̴̢Ẕ̡͠͠ ̶͘V͡͏Ḱ͟͜Ἤ̨'̷͜V̸͝ ҉̶͜Ј̶͘Ȓ͘͟Ŀ̨͝Q̶̷͠͝Ј̛͡ ̴̨͏Ẃ̸҉̵͡Ȓ̶͟ ̷̵Ὃ͠͠Ἤ͏̴͜͠Ɖ̢͢͜Ὓ̛͢͝҉Ἤ̵͜͏̨͟ ̴̵̕ϐ̷̡͝҉͢Ȓ̸Ẋ̶̢͡"

 

            "A͘n̶d?"

 

            "Ŀ̧͠Ẃ̡҉̴̧̛'̷̷̶V̛͡͏ ͡Ἷ̶҉̕͟Ẋ͏̛͘͡Ẃ̴͜͢͟͟Ŀ̵̡͝͡͠Ὃ̵̕Ἤ̸͘͜ ̶̧Ẃ̵̴͢͝Ȓ̢͏͘͘ ̵͜͏Ẃ̧͟͏̡Ȗ͏͞ϐ̸͢͡ ̧͘͡Ɖ͢͞͏Q̧̛͝͞Ɠ̸͠ ̡̡̕͠Ƥ̶̶̧͜͏Ɖ̷͘Ɲ̴̶Ἤ̧͏͢ ̸̡̨͘͝Ḱ̴̡̛Ἤ̨̢̧Ȗ̕͠ ̴̨̢͠V̶̨̕͝Ẃ̡̡̛͘͠Ɖ̸̴̨̕ϐ̸̡͢"

 

            "We̵ll҉, wh͘at̷ ͘the h̕e̶ll ̷d̨o ҉yo̴u͜ ͞know? ͘You̡'r̛e̸ n̴o̸t̷ even al͏i̢v͘ȩ an͜ymor̡ȩ!͘" To your amazement, the phantom stopped talking again, yet you could still hear the sounds of radio interference. Just what kind of animatronic was Mangle?

            "N͜ot so̢ tal̶ka̷ti͞v̶e n̸ow, ̨h̸uh̛?" The fox-like spirit slid down behind the window until it was no longer visible, the radio static disappearing with it. "Y̡eah̷, th͜a͡t͏'͢s wh͞at I̧ t̴hou̶gh͠t͠." With an uncomfortable shuffle, you cleared your throat, hoping to get back on track before anyone else interrupted again.

 

            "Spring, I, uh..."

 

            "O̡h͏.͡ ͜Right. W̷el̶l͘, uh̸, yo̡u reme̴mber͡ thos͟e͠ Fazb͟ear ͟ţr̷a͟in͢i̷n͠g̨ ͟ta̷p͝e̸s ͏you͜ ̛g̛ơt e̛ver͢y nigh̨t̴?͏"

 

            "Not every night, but yeah..."

 

            "You̴.͝.. m͞įgh͟t w̧an͜na g̴i͟v̡e '̧e̵m ͞a҉ lişten.͞ ͏T͝hey͡'̸l̵l ͜ȩx҉plain ͝e̷v̸e͡ryţhing̛." There was a moment where you wondered how some old recordings from thirty years ago would tell Springtrap's story, but you didn't refuse as he motioned towards the office chair. Once remembering just how comfortable it really was, the rabbit began pressing a few buttons on the answering machine.

            "Dam͡n,͝ t͜his t͝h͏in͝g ͏i̢s̛ old͜.͟.͠. I ̡r̶eme҉mber ̵havi͞ng ̧on͜e͝ ̵o͜f͏ thesę bac͘k i̛n ̵my apartment̸.̸.͝.̧"

 

            "What do you-"

 

             _"Message number two. Beginning playback."_

 

_"Uh, hello? Hello, hello? Uh, welcome to your new career as a performer/entertainer for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. These tapes will provide you with much needed information on how to-"_

 

            "Ţher̢e̕ y̕ou go.͞ Ha͜ve͢ ̷a li̸s̛t̛en, ąnd̷ ̸I͡'ll̸ ͠just͢ be, uh.̧.̷. S͘it͘t̕i͝n̴g͘ ͝ove͡r͜ ̢th̡ere.͏" The golden animatronic sat back in his corner while you payed attention to the tapes.

            Unexpectedly, there was an immediate connection to Springtrap. The man on the phone had mentioned there being two suits that served as both animatronics and suits, even mentioning how the AI were drawn to sound in order to stay where the children were. That explained the rabbit automatically being drawn to the sound child's laughter, but was a bit strange, really. How did they have AI back then? Maybe they didn't and it was some sort of programming.

            The message briefly explained how to step into a suit before ending much quicker than you thought it would, but the next one picked up where the last tape had left off. When the man on the phone began advising against touching or breathing on the spring locks, you couldn't help casting a quick glance towards your golden acquaintance.

 

             _"In case, uh, the spring locks come loose while you are wearing the suit, please try to maneuver away from populated areas before bleeding out, so as not to ruin the customer experience."_

 

            Oh dear god.

 

             _"As always, if there is ever an emergency, please note about the designated safe room. Every location is filled with one extra room that is not included in the digital map layout, program of the animatronics, or security system."_  Another horrifying realization made itself clear to you.

 

            "T-The back room Alex had-..." While shock and horror gripped your mind again, the recording switched out. Now the phone guy was reporting an accident at another location with those spring lock suits and how they were going out of commission. Touching, activating, and putting on those suits would now be off-limits for the safety of the Fazbear employees.

            Switch. A reminder that the safe rooms weren't for breaks or customer use, along with something about the Spring Bonnie animatronic being moved. If you remembered correctly from what Karen had told you during one of her horror rants, Bonnie had been a rabbit in the Freddy's gang. You wondered if Springtrap had died at that point before realizing how morbid that was.

 

             _"Thanks again and remember to smile. You are the face of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza."_  For a moment, nothing happened. Even though they were very short, the tapes had provided a lot more insight than you expected, and you were stuck trying to process it.

 

            "...So... When you were giving me pointers on being a good Fazbear employee..."

 

            "I wa̢sn't ͢j͏o͝kin̶g͏.͝" It was probably visible when your stomach dropped to your feet because in the next moment, the rabbit was trying to lighten the mood. "Well, I was͠ ̢wi͜th ͞th̨a͠t last̕ on̵e ̛ab͞o̶ut̸ t͡he ̛d҉oo͝r̴, ̡bu̶t͠.͡.͜.y͡ou ͞kn͏ow."

 

            "I...yeah..." Instead of many emotions buzzing in your mind, there were only two now. Horror and sorrow. Springtrap had been an employee at the actual Freddy's before meeting his untimely demise. He had his whole life ahead of him, and it was ripped away within seconds. You didn't even know his name.

            "....I'm sorry...." A shrug in response.

 

            "Eh̶, ̶it i͏s ҉wh͘a̕t͡ i̵t įs.͏ I̶ ̨d͜ǫn̛'t fe͜e̛l pai͟n f̧rom̧ ̸th̷e̷ ͝ s̢ui̛t itsel̷f a͞n̶y͡mor̶e,̷ but ơb͝vious͡l̴y o͞th̛er̶ thing͜s ҉can̢  ͡s̶ti͞l͞l͏ hur͟t̡ mę."

 

            "Oh, right. The uh...the bat...." Another strained moment. "Hey, Springtrap?"

 

            "H҉m̸?͟"

 

            "What's your real name?" Seeing the former human curl in on himself as if he'd been slapped made you immediately regret asking.

 

            "U̷h..̕..͏. T͢o͢ b̢e̴ ̶hone̕st̴.͜.̴.͢...̛ I͞ ki͏nd͢ o̧f ̨f͢o̶rgot̨.͝" That just made you feel worse about the entire thing.

 

            "Oh my god, you poor thing."

 

            "N̛o, no, ̶i̡t's  ͝f͢ine̕. ͞I ̨d͡idn't̷ r͟eal͢l͘y l҉ike̡ ͝it̢ ͘an͠y̵w͜ay̢.͞" With a sigh, you glanced away before speaking again.

 

            "Hey, um.... I'm sorry about all this. Had I know, I wouldn't have....you know..."

 

            "A̡c̴t̸u̸a̛l̵ly͜,̛ ̷y͘our reac͏t̡i͟on  ͝w̴as ͏pr̡ett͘y m͢uch ҉w̴ha̷t a̸n͞y͞ ̕p͘ers͘on w͟oul͏d ̴do ̧w̡h̨en͟ f̡a͡ce҉d w҉i͟th͘ a wal̕kin̢g͜, ̸talk͡i̧n͞g͜ d̨ea̷d perso̕n.͞ But̢ tha͝nk ͠you." The rabbit seemed to relax a little into his corner. "Įt̨'̸s̴ ni͜ce͘ to kn̕ow ͞th͏a͘t ͏w̴e͠ ̴ c̴an ̵be ̵f̵r͠i̷en͟ds again."

 

            ....He had said it.

 

            Springtrap had finally said the two of you were friends. It was like a dream come true, save for all the horrible gory details. With a great big smile, you gave your pal a hopeful look.

 

            "Yeah. It is." There was a little hesitation, but you held out one hand to seal the deal. "Friendship high-five?"

 

            "That'̢s͘ s͠o͢u̸n̷ds͘ ̕ r̡id̷i͏c͝u̧lo̵u͡s."

 

            "Oh come on, you know you like it." The rabbit let out an exasperated sigh, but played along anyway.

 

            "Alrig͡ht,͜ ̡fr̴i͏end͞sh͞ip͠ hig̷h-five.͝.." Springtrap went to meet your hand with his in a very soft, barely there touch, but you flinched away at the last second.

 

            "...Um, sorry.... I-I didn't mean to-"

 

            "We̢'ll jưst ha҉ve ̢to͞ w̛ork on ̧the tou̵ch̕i͜ng͝ thi͡ng̡ ͘lątȩr͟,̛ ok?̕" Even though he had interrupted you, Springtrap made sure you felt as comfortable as possible around him. By the smile you gave him, it seemed to be working.

 

            "...Ok. Later then...."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            And just like that, your fate was sealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangle's dialogue. I was debating whether or not to put it up, but it would only be fair since Quotev has it.
> 
> "LITTLE BIRD, DON'T LISTEN TO HIS LIES"  
> "YOU KNOW SHE'S GOING TO LEAVE YOU EVENTUALLY"  
> "IT'S FUTILE TO TRY AND MAKE HER STAY"


	15. The Last Resort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are some people who just want you to be safe.

            "You know, after getting to know you some more, you're a pretty cool person. I've just been a little curious... Why did you try to kill me when we first met?" And there it was. Springtrap knew this question would come eventually if his plan worked. Luckily, he had been thinking of a suitable answer _long_ before you thought to ask.  
  
            "I̸ ͝w̧asn't͠ rea͢lly͜ ̴in ̨t̕he bęst mood at ̕t̸h͡e t͝i͢me. I wa҉s̷ ̡als͘o kin̡d ҉o̡f ̵an̢gr͜y at҉ th͞e en̵t͟i͡r̷e̵ Freddy's̛ ͝fr͜an͡chi͡se f͘o̵r͝ ͠ruin͏in̷g ͡eve͏r͡y̷thing͝ ҉I ḩad͜ go͜i͜ng̸ ͜and we̷n̸t įnto a bit͝ o͜f͘ ̕a bl̨in͘d rage, I ̡g̛u̕ess͟.̶" By the look you gave him, you were completely put off at his answer.  
  
            "Uh... That's kind of...bad. You nearly suffocated me. Probably could've snapped my neck, too." You took note of the way his ears drooped a bit.  
  
            "Y͘yyyy҉e̷a͢h..͟.҉ H̨a͠d ҉y̨ou c̕a҉ught̨ me ͞i͘n a ͜da͝r̸ke͘r̡ ̕sp̶ot, i͝t̴ probab͝l͝y͡ w̷o̕ul̡d͢'v͞e͏ b͠e̡e͡n a ̴l̵ot ̷wor̷s͟e.͢..̴" The two of you went silent for a moment. ".̢..Ma̛y̛b͞e ͢we ͘s͝ḩo̕u͡ld ̢t̷a̡lk̵ ab͞out̕ something el̶s̷e..͏." Seeing you nod in agreement brought the rabbit some relief. He didn't like to think how much more loneliness and anger he'd have suffered had he actually succeeed in killing you.  
  
            "Right," you agreed. "Just, uh, give me a minute." While you were glad to be switching topics - death had become a little too cozy withing the past week - there were a few things nagging at the back of your mind. Seff's grin still unsettled you quite a bit, but you were wondering how he even came into the picture in the first place. The only hint you had was BB's mention of purple during his argument with Foxy, but that was very vague, and it didn't help you at all. Although it seemed the two had never met each other, you still wanted to know if Spring had heard anything about the purple oneironaut.*  
  
            "Y̨ou̢ se͡em to ͡be ̴t͜hin͟k҉i͏n̶g͘ aw̕f͢u͜l͞y ̨h͜a͢rd ̷about̨ s̨o͡m͏ethin͟g. ͢Car̨e̴ t̵o shar͠e͡?҉" The sudden speech startled you a bit, but you were going to vocalize your thoughts anyway, so it didn't bother you much.  
  
            "Uh, sure. Do you know anyone named Seff?" There was a slight pause before your friend spoke.  
  
            ".̸.̨.͜W҉ho the̷ ͢ h̡ell̨ i̸s͟ ͘t̵ha͞t̢?" For some reason, a kernel of dissapointment lodged itself in your mind.  
  
            "This guy I've been seeing in my dreams. He's saved me from being attacked by the Phantoms more than once, and he even had a fight with this other animatronic, Golden Freddy." The rabbit perked up at the name. He knew about everything of course, but it was vital he acted like two seperate people.  
  
            "He͞ fǫu͘ght̶ ͟o̶ff̨ G͠olḑen̴ ̢F͞r̕e͏ddy̢?" you played right into his act without even knowing it.  
  
            "So you know who he is then? He's not just some random bear?" Springtrap put a hand to his mouth in an attempt to look a little shocked. Apparently, it was working.  
  
            "Oh, no̸. He's͘ bȩe͝n̡ ҉her͞e ̷f̷o͘r a͏ ͢whi͞l͜e. ͢S͡'͏on͘e of ̨t͝he̡ m͡o͢st ͞a͠gģr͞e̴s͡įv̨e ̨a͏nimat̢ron͡i͝c͠s out o̡f̶ ̡every̴o҉ne." The rabbit gave you what looked like a mildly worried gaze. "Be͜t̡ter͝ ͡ho͢p͜e ͏he͠'s͟ ok,̕ ̷_____̛_. ͡G̵old̡y i͏s ̶n͏ot̵ to͝ be ̶tr̛i͟f̨ļed͏ wi͜th͜.͞"

 

            "Well, I was able to wake myself up before he was seriously hurt. I think he's ok, since he was urging me to do that once he realized he wouldn't win." A shrug in response.

 

            "O͢k̷.̨ ͝I  ͞g͟uess͞ ͜ t̷he ͘g̷u̡y͟ kno̡w̷s w͜ha̴t ̵he'̷s   ͝t̶a̡lk̶ing a͏b̡ou̢t͟, t͢hen.̛" Springtap relaxed into his corner again. "H͞ey͝,͝ yo͡u said ͏yo̢u ̷wo̷r̕k here, ̛r̛ight?" You quirked an eyebrow, a little put off by the sudden topic change.

 

            "Yeah, why?"

 

           "Ţh͞e̴n̨ yo̡u a͏lr͜ea͘dy͝ g̨ot y͢o̷ur pa͟y̵c̸h̵e̸ck̸, ̧I'm ̧a̷ssu̸mi͠n͠g." The rabbit was genuinely surprised when you didn't answer. ".͡.͠.You ͜di̸d͝ get ͢p̧aid̕,͠ ͝dįd̢n͞'t y͠ou̧?" There was a moment of stunned realization before you shook your head, to which Springtrap could only facepalm. "That͡ fr͝ie̢n̨d̷ of you͘rs͟ is̛ ̢a ̶l͞i̷t҉t̡le ͢un̢trust͟wo͟r̶ţhy͘, don̨'t̕ ̵y̧ou t̡h͞ink?"

            "Come on, Spring," you sighed wearily. "Alex tries his best. He may not always be up to par, but he's done a pretty good job with this place. The fact that he's legally certified to run it is a miracle in itself."

            "S͜pea̛king͘ ͘of ̡w̴hi͟ch, what ͢ex̸a͜c̛tly͝ įs̴ ̧th͡is͠ b̶uil͡d̨i͏ng?҉ W̧hęre̛ ̸hav̢e͘ I ̴b͢e͏e͡n̢ f̸o͢r t͡h͢e p͜a͢st w̨ee̸k̡,͘ ͏_̴___̕__̴?" You had forgotten your friend never set foot ouside these walls. Everything else that had happened demanded your attention, leaving no room for that thought to even occur. It left you with an uncomfortable feeling knowing that you'd have to explain things and possibly risk his wrath again.

            "Mm... I don't think you'll like it..." A deep breath. "We're at a horror attraction called Fazbear's Fright, and, uh, it officially opens in two days. I've just been here to make sure nothing catches on fire because apparently that's a real problem we could have." Springtrap caught you completely off guard by bursting into laughter, his shoulders shaking with amusement.

            "Haha̛h͟a!!͝ Oh̡ m̴a͟n, that's͜ a͠ ̵g̡o̷o͡d ̶o͘ne! You'r̕e ͝j͘ok̢ing,̕ ̨ri͘g̷h͡t?" You could feel the unhappiness seeping in at the silence that followed. ".͜.̡..Y͜ou'͢re̡ n̡ot ͜jo͠k͢i͝ng̴.͟" With an irritated sigh, Springtrap flopped into the corner. He was quiet for a moment. ".͠.̷..̷Eh. ͠I g̕ue͝s͘s ̵th͟ere's̨ w̨o̡rşe̷ pl͢a͡ces ͠I co̷uld͘ b̶e҉." A wave of relief passed over you. Everything seemed to be going well for once since you arrived here last Monday, and there was no way you were taking it for granted.

            "Oh wait, what time is it?" You cast a glance to the clock--only 1:43?--and decided to leave. There were a few things you had to tend to before the day was over, and it was still early, meaning you could gain a head start. Voicing your thoughts to Springtrap resulted in another shrug.

            "Wh̴a̢tever͘ y̷ou gott͠a̢ do, ͞_͟__̕_̡__.͏ Just͝ be ̢re̶a̷d͝y for̕ mę ̸to ̷com͜e ͏after͟ ͡you on̕ ͘M͠o͏n͝d͞a̶y.͠" It was obvious an explanation was needed by the face you made. "T̛h̨i͡s̴ is͜ a h̢o͠rr̸or̷ att̕r͏açt͜i̵o̕n.͢ It͘ ͟ o͝pen̛s͢ ҉in t͠w͞o̧ day̷ş, ̷r̴i҉ght͜? ͟T͟h̕e g͡uy͢  ͜t̢h͟a͡t b̶r̸o͡u͝g͡ht̸ ̸m̵e̡ ̷h͜e͝r̡e͏ p̕r͞oba̕bly ̴in̛ten̵ded f̷or̵ me t̷o͜ com͢e̡ after̨ you ļike̷ t͡he̷ ͠kids҉ tha͜t-̵ u͜h, ͟t̨h̛a͏t ͏s͟pr͝e̸ad ͏t̵h̢e͠ l͏e҉ge҉n̸d͏."

            "Oh...right. Well, uh, I guess I'll see you then. I'll try to come a bit earlier so we can plan things out, ok?" A nod in response. "Alright. Later, Springtrap." You received a friendly wave.

            "G̶o̸o̡db̕ye.̵.." There was silence as he watched you exit the room, the clank of the door echoing back to him. It was only when he heard your car start to roll away did the rabbit jump up, the smile on the animatronic shell once again feeling natural. Through the peace and quiet, a low chuckle sounded from the rabbit, slowly but surely building up into laughter until it sounded hysterical.  
            "H̨A͝H̸! YO͏U ̧H̶ȨAR̕ ̵THĄT͟,͜ PU̵PP͘ET͞? I͏'̧M S̡TI̴L̛L W͘IŅNI͞NG̡, AN͜D ͜T͏HER҉E'̕S ͜N͟O̡THIN̴Ģ YO̶U C͘A͘N͢ ̧D͏O ͟ABO̷UT͏ I͡T͘! ͘H̛AH͠A͘HAHA!̵!̕" For the first time in years, Springtrap didn't feel like Springtrap. He felt like Seff again; the cunning, elusive, child-murdering night guard that he was before all of this. He felt absolutely unstoppable, and nothing could ruin this good mood right now.

 

 

            That being said, there was nothing to stop the mood being ruined at a later time instead. Freddy voiced this thought at the gathering of Phantoms that had been called, hoping someone had a plan to help you from being deceived any further.

            "вὗҭ ᾧἔ ᾗἔἔḋ ҭ' ƈὄмἔ ὗῥ ᾧἷҭђ ṩὄмἔҭђἷᾗ' ғᾄṩҭ, łἔṩҭ ҭђᾄҭ ʀᾄввἷҭ вἔ ђὗʀҭἷᾗ' ᾄᾗὄҭђἔʀ ἷᾗᾗὄƈἔᾗҭ." A slight murmer erupted from the group, but none had any idea what to do next.

            "Ἷ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ᾧᾄᾗҭ ҭђἔ ῥʀἔҭҭẏ łᾄḋẏ ʛἔҭҭἷᾗʛ ђὗʀҭ! Ҭђἔʀἔ ђᾄṩ ҭὄ вἔ ṩὄмἔҭђἷᾗʛ ᾧἔ ƈᾄᾗ ḋὄ..." A comforting hand was placed on BB's shoulder, but it did little to sooth him.

            "Ἷ ќᾗὄᾧ, вὗҭ...Ṩῥʀἷᾗʛҭʀᾄῥ ἷṩᾗ'ҭ ᾄ ᾗἷƈἔ ʛὗẏ. Ἤἔ'ṩ ᾗὄҭ ʛὄᾗᾗᾄ łἔҭ ὗṩ ʛἔҭ ᾄᾗẏᾧђἔʀἔ ᾗἔᾄʀ ђἔʀ, ῥłὗṩ ______ ἷṩ ҭὄὄ ᾄғʀᾄἷḋ ὄғ ὗṩ ҭὄ łἷṩҭἔᾗ ᾄᾗẏмὄʀἔ." Chica sighed. "Ẃἔ ƈὄὗłḋ'vἔ ђᾄḋ ṩὄмἔ ʛἷʀł ҭἷмἔ ҭὄʛἔҭђἔʀ..."

            "Ғὄƈὗṩ, ἔvἔʀẏὄᾗἔ. Ҭђἔʀἔ мὗṩҭ вἔ ᾄ ᾧᾄẏ ҭὄ ҭἔłł ______ ᾧђὄ Ṩἔғғ ʀἔᾄłłẏ ἷṩ. ᾋᾗẏ ṩὗʛʛἔṩҭἷὄᾗṩ?" Nothing. Not even the chirping of crickets. It was very inspiring silence. "...Ẃἔłł, ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ἔvἔʀẏὄᾗἔ ҭᾄłќ ᾄҭ ὄᾗƈἔ..."

            "Ṩђἔ'ṩ ᾗὄҭ ʛὄᾗᾗᾄ ʛἔҭ ќἷłłἔḋ, ἷṩ ṩђἔ?? Ἷ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ᾧᾄᾗҭ ______ ҭὄ вἔ мὗʀḋἔʀἔḋ!!"

            "Ɲὄ ὄᾗἔ ἷṩ ʛὄἷᾗʛ ҭὄ ʛἔҭ мὗʀḋἔʀἔḋ, ϐϐ. Ẃἔ ʝὗṩҭ ђᾄvἔ ҭὄ ҭђἷᾗќ-"

            "Ẃἔłł, Ἷ'м ᾗὄҭ ʛὄὄḋ ᾄҭ ҭђἷᾗќἷᾗʛ!! Ἷ'vἔ ᾗἔvἔʀ вἔἔᾗ ʛὄὄḋ ᾄҭ ҭђἷᾗќἷᾗʛ!! Ὓὄὗ ʀἔᾄłłẏ ἔẋῥἔƈҭ ᾄᾗẏὄᾗἔ ҭὄ ƈὄмἔ ὗῥ ᾧἷҭђ ṩὄмἔҭђἷᾗʛ ҭђᾄҭ ᾧὄʀќṩ? Ҭђἔ ὄᾗłẏ ҭђἷᾗʛ ҭђᾄҭ ṩἔἔмἔḋ ҭὄ ʛἔҭ ҭђʀὄὗʛђ ҭὄ ______ ἔvἔᾗ ᾄ łἷҭҭłἔ ᾧᾄṩ ҭђᾄҭ ὄᾗἔ ῥłᾄᾗ ᾧἷҭђ Ɠὄłḋẏ, ᾄᾗḋ ᾧἔ ᾄłł ќᾗὄᾧ ᾧђἷƈђ ὄғ ὗṩ ҭђὄὗʛђҭ ὗῥ ҭђᾄҭ ὄᾗἔ!!" Everyone cast a glance to the Puppet, who was silently staring back at them. Foxy was the first to look away.

            "Ŀᾄṩṩ, ƈᾄłм ḋὄᾧᾗ! Ὓἔʀ ῥłἔᾗҭẏ ʛὄὄḋ ᾄҭ ҭђἷᾗќἷᾗ'! Ҭ'ᾧᾄṩ ẏἔʀ ἷḋἔᾄ ғἔʀ мἔ ᾄᾗ' ϐϐ ҭ' ђᾄvἔ ҭђᾄҭ łἷ'ł ƈђᾄҭ ᾧἷҭђ ђἔʀ ᾄ ғἔᾧ ḋᾄẏṩ ᾄʛὄ, ʀἔмἔмвἔʀ?"

            "ϐὗҭ ҭђᾄҭ ἔᾗḋἔḋ ὗῥ ṩὄ вᾄḋłẏ..."

            "Ἷ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ вἔłἷἔvἔ ҭђἔ ᾗἷʛђҭмᾄʀἔṩ Ἷ ῥἷҭƈђἔḋ ᾧἔʀἔ ὄғ ᾄᾗẏ ὗṩἔ ἔἷҭђἔʀ..." Another moment of silence followed, this time filled with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

            "....Ẃἔ ƈᾄᾗ'ҭ ḋὄ ᾄᾗẏҭђἷᾗʛ, ƈᾄᾗ ᾧἔ? ______ ἷṩ ʛὄᾗᾗᾄ ḋἷἔ, ᾄᾗḋ ἷҭ'łł вἔ ᾄłł ὄὗʀ-"

            "Ƈђἷłḋʀἔᾗ..." All eyes returned to the Puppet, surprised that it had said something other than 'help them' or 'save them'. With something akin to a deep breath, it gave them all a very serious look.

 

 

            "Ἷ ќᾗὄᾧ ᾧђᾄҭ ᾧἔ мὗṩҭ ḋὄ..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *oneironaut  
>  A person who explores dream worlds, usually associated with lucid dreaming
> 
> The Puppet does not have a gender and does not use they/them pronouns, so everyone refers to the thing as 'it'. This is one of two genderless characters that will appear in this story.


	16. Bros for Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Alex have some bonding time.

            You knew better than to use your phone while driving, so it was after you had gotten home and parked that you made to contact Alex and Karen. First was your so-called "boss". It was his schedule you'd have to work around in order to get things sorted out, so it was the obvious choice.

 

            "Uh....Hello?"

 

            "Hey, are you busy later?"

 

            "No, why?"

 

            "Do you wanna go get food with me around, uh..." You checked the clock on the stove. "How's three o' clock sound?"

 

            "Oh, uh, sure, I guess. Actually, I think 3:30 would be better. That cool?"

 

            "Sounds good. I'll need to ask Karen about it, though."

 

            "Oh, good! For a second, I thought you were, like, asking me out on a date or something."

 

            "Hah! In your dreams, man!"

 

            "Ok, ok, I get it. See ya then, dude."

 

            "Later." Not a second after, you dialed Karen's number and waited for her to pick up.

 

            "...H-Hello?..." Oh. She sounded terrible.

 

            "Hey, uh...how are you?" The timid tone of voice you heard was quickly replaced to convey as much seriousness as possible.

 

            "______, we have to tell Alex."

 

            "I know, I already called him. We're gonna grab a bite at 3:30, and I told him I'd ask you about it." You cleared your throat. "So, you wanna go or-"

 

             _"Can we go to Shlotzkey's??"_

 

            "Hah, sure. Gonna get a turkey original like always?"

 

             _ **"YES."**_

 

            "Alright, I'll meet you there then. See ya."

 

            "Bye." The line disconnected, and you gave a thoughtful hum. Karen could never resist Shlotzkey's, no matter what mood she was in. At least the dead body didn't seem to affect her  _too_  much. Regardless of that, she had a good point. The two of you would have to confront Alex about Springtrap without letting either of them know the rabbit was actually alive. Not to mention, no one can just brush off a dead body like that if things of that nature weren't part of their daily lives, so calming down Karen would take some work as well.

            On a completely different note, there was still the fact that Seff had seemed to change somehow, even if it was only for a few moments. That smile still unsettled you, and in the back of your mind, a voice kept nagging that there was something wrong. To top it off, the phantoms kept trying to screw with you. Or...maybe it was Seff they wanted to annoy? And what did Foxy mean when he said the truth was being hidden from you? So many things had happened recently, it was becoming a little difficult to keep up.

 

            ...Man, you had a full plate.

            The next hour or so consisted of you playing Super Paper Mario for a short time and doing other relaxing activities before freshening up and leaving. Driving to Shlotzkey's didn't take too long, but somehow Karen had managed to arrive first, even though she lived further away than you did. Perhaps she left early.

            "Hey, Kar. Did'ja order food yet?" The question was answered when an employee strode over and set a steaming hot sandwich in front of her. Your friend gave a sheepish smile as you took a seat next to her at the table, but you knew this would happen. Karen was Karen, ater all.

            "I got hungry."

            "Oh, I can tell," you stated, taking a glance at the very large meal in front of her. "Besides, you and I both know how Alex likes to take his time with things like- oh wait, there he is." Surprisingly, Alex's car pulled into the parking lot and out came the man himself, entering the restaurant, ordering food, and sitting down at the table. Right at 3:29.

            "Hey dudes, how's it hanging?" Karen opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, you interrupted her.

            "Finish your food first." There was a slight pause before she nodded and began scarfing down her meal, glancing every now and then at Alex with worried eyes. "So!" You continued, ignoring the anxious vibes coming off Karen. You rested your head in one hand, a slightly miffed face beginning to surface. "I'd like to ask you something, **_boss._** "

            "Uh..." Alex could tell be your tone of voice that something he'd done had annoyed you. It was best to get it over with now. "Sure, what is it, ______?"

            "Oh, Alex. You know your my main man. My friend. My buddy chum pal friend buddy pal chum bud friend." Dear god, you had done the name thing. "I know you would _never_ hold out on me, right?"

            "Um, n-no..."

            "Ah, good! But, I can't help but wonder..." Here it comes. "Why haven't I gotten my paycheck yet?" You expected him to become nervous and try to come up with excuses again. You expected lots of stuttering. However, what you got was completely different.

            "....Is that all?" With surprising confidence and coolness, the man reached into the backpack he seemed to carry all the time and produced a check. "Here you go."

            "...Uh...." Shock and surprise kept you frozen for a second before you finally reached out and grasped the check. "...Thank you-"

            **_"There's a dead body in the horror attraction!!"_** Although Karen had hissed it quietly, it was loud enough for those close by to hear. This caused the Shlotzkey's employee to stop and crease his eyebrows in confusion and worry before switching out Karen's empty plate for Alex's sandwich and hastily walking away.

            "Oh, that thing? Yeah, I know.'' He picked up the sandwich and took a bite, leaving you and Karen to gape at him in stunned silence until he swallowed. "Looks pretty convincing, am I right? It's totally awesome, and I think it'll rake in a lot of customers too." The other girl was the first one to snap out of her stupor.

            "W-Wait. You mean..." Alex nodded, a sweet smile on his face.

            "Yeah, bro. It's fake." Another bite of his food.

            "But... H-How did you get all the gross details and...?"

            "You remember when I took those tech theatre classes with my other friends back in school? I rang them up, and they helped me make that totally righteous dummy to put in the suit." Realization dawned on Karen's face.

            "Ohhh..." Silence fell, and Alex continued eating. Your face contorted in a mix of confusion and suspicion. The fact that Alex had successfully taken care of both problems without stuttering was strange in itself, but you knew for a fact that the body inside Springtrap was not fake. He had told you himself. The excuse was able to calm down Karen, and with a sound explanation like that, you weren't about to confront Alex about it just yet, but this was definitely weird. Something wasn't right.

            "Anyway, how's you guys' day going? I haven't really been able to enjoy doing stuff with the attraction opening soon, so my life's pretty boring right now."

            "I've been making this cute little plushie of Jason from Friday the 13th, and it is _so adorable, oh my god._ It's gonna look great once it's finished!!"

\---

            "Alrighty girl, I'll see you later!" Since Karen's fear and unease had been whisked away, she had returned to her quirky state and had taken over the conversation for a while. It was when she remembered about the job interview she had the next morning that she excused herself and went home, leaving you and Alex alone. You had already ordered and eaten your sandwich, so the two of you were now munching on cookies, nothing but silence hanging in the air for a few moments.

            "....I know you're lying." Alex perked up, face paling slightly.

            "...What?" You hit him with an unnaturally focused stare set on making him uneasy.

            "You and I both know that body isn't fake. That's a Fazbear employee sitting in there, but I bet you already knew that." The stare was working. You boss had curled in on himself a bit and was nervously avoiding eye contact. "And let me guess," you began, slight anger creeping into your voice. _"You knew the rabbit was alive too. **Didn't you.** "_

            "W-Wait, I-I-I didn't know the entire time!!" Alex tried being as quiet as he could so as not to alert anyone else in the restaurant, but it was clear that he had been hiding some very important facts from you and Karen. "I swear to god, I didn't know when I put it in there with you! Had I known earlier, I never would have made you- Oh _god..._ " He brought a hand to his head and suddenly looked very tired, catching you off guard. You knew Alex worried over a lot of things, but this looked to be a new level of stress never before seen on his face. It was especially jarring when he looked back to you, his eyes filled with regret....and.......was that terror?  
            "______, I am so sorry for putting you through this. I shouldn't have asked you to work there." Only more confusion followed.

            "Alex..?"

            "I never should have opened that damn attraction. You know why?" This was serious. You knew when Alex had dropped his 'dude totally righteous' way of speaking and even let out a curse. "The guys that ran the actual Freddy's thirty years ago. They're not happy, ______. Not one bit."

            "Wh-But-How-" You struggled to say something, anything, but all that came out was a sputter of disbelief.

            "They swung by my place after I asked you to look at the animatronic. Don't know how they got my address, but they didn't like me digging up their past."

            "You mean-" Alex nodded gravely.

            "Yes. That rabbit wasn't supposed to be found. They told me everything, ______. Even the reason all the animatronics from the previous places moved around. There were five kids murdered at Freddy's, stuffed into suits by the guy who did it, so they came back for revenge, killing every night guard they could get their hands on." That struck a chord. Had that contributed to Springtrap's bad mood when he first met you? "No one knows who did it, but apparently these guys knew the rabbit walked around too. They- Oh god. They threatened my family, ______. My parents. My little sister. They even threatened my dog!" Your eyes widened in horror.

            "Jesus Christ, are you serious??" The look on his face already gave you your answer.

            "______, I can't let anyone know what really happened at Freddy's. I don't know how you're keeping that rabbit or whoever is in it calm, but keep doing it. Don't tell anyone about this, you hear? The only reason you have that paycheck is because these guys backed me when I agreed to their demands. Don't. Tell. Anyone." An x was made on your heart with one hand.

            "I won't. I can't do that to you." The sigh of relief that followed was one of the most heartbreaking things you had ever heard.

            ".....Thank you. I can't tell you how much this means to me, dude." Although it was a bit uneasy, a smile came onto your face.

            "I think I can understand. I know you'd do the same for me." It was then that Alex gave you the widest, gratitude filled smile of his life. "Now I think you've had enough stress for today. You should go relax. Spend time with that family you love so much," you quipped, hoping the bad attempt at humor was able to lighten the mood. Apparently it worked, earning a small chuckle from you friend.

            "Yeah, I think I will. Thank you so much, ______. I'll see you around, dude." The man stood from his seat, and nodded another thank you, the weight on his shoulders ever so slightly lighter. As he headed for the door, you couldn't help but watch him go, a newfound understanding for your friend instilled in your heart.  
            It seemed that the events from decades ago were still coming back to haunt people, even those who had no connection to the murders. The ones who had visited Alex sure didn't want anyone discovering the truth, and although it was still a little dangerous, you had a direct source to talk to about those events. You knew you shouldn't, but someone had threatened one of your closest friends, and that was unforgivable.  
            These people also seemed to have enough power to back up their threats if they had found Alex's address. Whoever these people were, you were going to spite them by finding out exactly what they didn't want you knowing.

 

            They'd be sorry they ever messed with your friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't mean to hurt Alex this way, but the opportunity was too good for me to not take it. I actually do feel bad about this. The guy just wants to open a haunted house and hang with his friends and family, but here I go threatening them with death or bankruptcy. Yikes.


	17. Shadow of the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make a new acquaintance.

           To say you were miffed would usually be an understatement, but now that you had time to think about it on the way home, you were a little afraid of the people who ran Freddy's all those years ago. They'd be hella old by now, but it was clear that they had enough power to see through those threats they made would be done if anyone crossed them. While you were angry that they had the  _gall_ to muscle in on your friend for doing something he loved, there was also a gut feeling saying it would not be a good idea to go up against these people. You wanted to spite them in any way you could without them noticing, or at least without putting your friend and his family in danger, but the only way to do that would be look it up online. Or to ask Springtrap.  
  
            Yeah, no.  
  
            The guy had been through enough already. You didn't want to make him relive any other terrible experiences he may have had in his years at Freddy Fazbear's. That being said, the only other option wasn't very safe either. You knew how people could monitor what you searched online without leaving a trace, namely the government, but you didn't doubt the people from Freddy's could do that too. If that was the case, you'd have to be careful about it, make it seem like another person brought it up and made you search because they asked you to. Something like that, anyway.  
            You pulled into the driveway at about 5:23, deciding to take a couple hours to clean up a little. Dusting mainly, but you still moved a few things around, even going so far as to sweep and mop the tiled floors in your house. The order of things helped keep you grounded, not to mention it could also be a little relaxing sometimes. Yeah, you left things a little untidy every now and then, but you always went back to clean it up. Eventually. Whatever.

            You were done being a neat freak and decidedly hopped on your computer. Whether you felt more comfortable on a desktop or laptop was irrelevant-Come on man, it was a computer! All that mattered was the speed it opened up your home page, being a search engine of no particular name. The first thing you did was search up about the children's murders.

 

             _My friend said the kids from Freddy Fazbear's haunted the suits, that's not true, is it?_

 

            Hey, some people searched things up like that. Don't knock it if it helps avoid detection from third parties that could harm your friends and their families.  
            The results that came up were mainly just forums with concerned parents discussing their experiences at the restaurant, but after a thorough search through various links, you were able to find a picture of an old news article.

             **'Missing Children Found, Frightening Fazbear Discovery'**

            "Frightening Fazbear...? Jesus Christ, Alex." The article went on to say how five previously missing kids were found inside a few of the animatronic suits in the back room of the restaurant. Apparently the shells weren't completely empty, many wires and metal bars also being inside to provide support, and the culprit even went so far as to shove endoskeletons inside after the children in order to conceal the bodies. The whole thing made you feel sick to your stomach as you imagination filled in the images. Springtrap had suffered enough already, but these kids... There was no doubt that they were unhappy. If being caught in a suit without an endoskeleton was enough for a soul to stay here after death, that meant there was a _very_ high chance the children were still here as well, just like Alex said.

            "So they're stuck in those suits, just like Springtrap.... But what about all the missing security guards?" Another search.

             _Freddy Fazbear's Pizza 6am dare_

            You had heard younger teenagers gossiping a while back about how their parents would dare each other to stay at Freddy's overnight until six, the kicker being that some people didn't come back afterwards. It seemed like a good place to start, and a handful of missing person's reports were dredged up because of it. One of them immediately stood out due to the description. Rather than a disappearance, this article focused on the injury of an old security guard.

             _ **Security Guard suffers severe cranial bite; Brain Damage suspected**_

             _Many people are now aware of the so-called accident that occurred at the local Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. A young man by the name of Jeremy Fitzgerald, who was the active night guard, was attacked by one of the beloved animatronic attractions - one of many on display at the family pizzeria.  
Fitzgerald was the only one harmed in the accident and is now recovering in the hospital. Reports from doctors say he will survive the damage. "I don't know what happened," said the pizzeria owner. "One moment everything was fine, and Jeremy was supervising a party, and the next he was on the ground with one of the animatronics latched onto him."  
The owner claims this was a glitch as the animatronics hadnt had a proper hardware mechanic for some time. Whatever the cause, the pizzeria has been closed down with the promise that the older animatronics will be redone and a new location opened. However, this incident was a shocking and crushing blow to the pizzeria's reputation, and it is unsur-_

            A shudder ran down your spine at the mention of the bite to the skull. It reminded you too much of that nightmare when Foxy-  
            ...Wait. Oh god, he didn't. There is no way. No, no, he was  _not_ imitating the bite of '87, absolutely not. He couldn't have known about it with no access to technology, he would've had to be there in person, meaning there's a child's soul inside him, but _that's not the case, there is no way-_

            "Jesus Christ..." The sinking feeling in your stomach turned to despair, and you could feel your eyes tearing up at the thought of Foxy being one of the dead children. "He can't be, that's not- ...Oh my _god..."_ Realization hit you hard as you realized how many phantom animatronics were stuck in Fazbear's Fright. You never saw any others, meaning the five that haunted you were actually the souls of those dead kids from way back. Every single animatronic in that building was actually a person stuck in that form, and from the looks of it, no one was able to get any form of rest.  
            Tears flowed freely now as the reality of the situation made itself clear. You were working with people who had suffered for so long, they probably couldn't even remember what they looked like before death. That was enough for today.  
            You shut down the computer and weakly made your way to bed, cuddling one of the fluffy pillows as if it'd make the crying stop. It didn't. You wanted to find out about horrors of the original Freddy's, and that's exactly what was revealed.

            ...But you were far from happy about it...

\---

_...A loud bang on the table made you jolt out of your chair._

_"______ WAKE UP!!"_

_"What- Who-" As soon as you were up, your eyes locked onto your coworker leaning over the table, a bright smile on her face. "Jesus, Lana, you scared the hell out of me!" Wait, that wasn't right. How did you know this girl's name?_

_"Well, we're about to hit the lunch rush, and your break is over! I need your help girl, I can't wait all these tables myself!" Taking a glance at your seat, there was a noticeable puddle of drool on the surface of the table. Yikes._

_"Oh man, I must've fallen asleep. Sorry about that." Lana stood up straight._

_"It's fine, I don't care. Mr. Coulson works us too hard anyway. Just hope he doesn't put one of us in those suits later on." A shiver ran down your spine, but you weren't sure what suits she meant._

_"Eesh, I'd hate to be stuck in one of those. Aren't the spring locks supposed to be super sensitive or_ _something?"_

_"Yeah, you're not supposed to touch them, and you have to bend down a certain way. You're not even supposed to_ breath _on them, can you believe that?" She was referring to one the suits Springtrap died in. That much was obvious._

_"All I know is I don't want to go anywhere near those things." Although you weren't in complete control of your words, that statement wasn't a lie. There was no way you ever wanted to see a person in a suit like that again. Even looking at Springtrap was a challenge now that you knew the truth about him._

_"I totally get you. Anyway," Lana diverted, stretching her arms in the air. "I think your break is up. Would you mind taking care of that family that just walked in? They literally just sat down, so..." You have your coworker a smile._

_"Sure thing. Just let me put my apron back on."_

_"Alright, awesome! Thanks, girl!" The two of you high fived and you proceeded to tie your apron on as Lana strode away. It seemed that this dream was more...dream-like. Many of your dreams before this month used to just happen without you having any control over your actions or words. It was much like watching a movie unfold in first person, and it seemed you were actually dreaming this time, rather than interacting with the spirits from Fazbear's Fright. The dream was actually a little refreshing.  
            Although it was set in Fredbear's Family Diner(what was with that name?), most likely from all the google searching and focus on the topic, all you did was wait tables and bring out food to various families and children. There were surprisingly no birthday parties being held today, and you were honestly just having a nice time doing this job. The only thing that really bothered you was seeing other workers parade around in a few of those spring lock suits. An uncomfortable rock would form in your stomach every time you heard a creak or squeak coming from the joints of the suits, and you were always expecting the people inside to suddenly become human shush kebabs. It was very disconcerting.  
            About an hour passed before Lana came up to you, grumbling in annoyance and casting glares towards your boss._

_"Frickin' Mr. Coulson said I have to put on that bear suit in the back. You know, the purple-ish one?"_

_"Wasn't there a rabbit one too? Same color, right?" That struck you as odd. Why would you mention another suit if you wanted to avoid them?_

_"Who cares about the color?? Just- Help me into the thing, will you?" The two of you made your way to the back room, closing the double doors behind so no customers would see anything. In the corner sat a purple bear suit, which Lana dragged into the center of the room.  
            "Help me turn the crank."_

_"Got it." With much effort(Jesus how did anyone do this by themselves??), you and Lana sloooowly turned the crank to open the suit until there was enough room to climb in._

_"Well, here goes." She inched her way inside the suit, careful to avoid the spring locks as instructed. Once Lana was positioned correctly, you turned the crank once again in the opposite direction, careful to not close the suit too tight._

_"Is that good?" Your coworker held up a hand._

_"Yeah, right there. I think I'm-" A low groan suddenly sounded from the suit._

_"...Lana?" Without warning, a pair of hands covered your eyes. Simultaneously, the creaking of the suit gave way to a noise akin to a bear trap closing on its prey, horrible sounds of metal crunching on something thick and fleshy. A subdued whine followed, sending chills up your spine. It sounded as if your coworker was trying to call out, but she seemed not to be able to form words._

_"L-Lana?!" There was a wet gurgle that faded into harsh gasps and coughs, making you shiver even more. You could only hear Lana's sounds of pain as she slowly died in what you would assume to be a puddle of her own blood, knowing the spring locks had given way and were choking the life out of her bit by-_

_Enough._

_...That was new. It didn't feel like someone speaking, but...rather a thought in your head. Not one of your own thoughts, but it was as if someone placed it there.  
            All sound had stopped, save for a quiet breeze you could hear swishing outside. When the pair of hands retracted, you were no longer in Fredbear's Family Diner, but standing in the middle of your room, completely safe and sound. No death._

_It was not real._

_There it was again! The strange thought just appeared in your mind, but you knew it still wasn't yours. These thoughts belonged to someone else.... Perhaps the one who had covered your eyes.  
            You turned to face them, not knowing what to expect. In all honesty, the figure wasn't the scariest you've seen, but they were slightly unsettling. They were in the shape of a humanoid rabbit, but parts of them here and there were glitching as if they were a character from a video game. Their plain white eyes stared at you, accompanied by a smiling set of white teeth. Other than that, there were no other noticeable features, for their entire body was a dark shade of black._

_Do not be afraid._

_Wow. Their mouth didn't even move. Was it stuck in that smile?  
            "Wh... Who are you?" The rabbit's head tilted down, hanging in what looked like sadness._

_No name. Not anymore._

_"Uh... Ok." This person was weird. You weren't entirely sure of their gender, and it felt rude to ask, but to know they didn't even have a name was a bit sad. "...What can I call you then?" Their head tilted back up._

_The others. They call me Shadow Bonnie._

_"What kind of name is that? It's a little long too, don't you think?"_

_My name does not matter._

_"Then what does?"_

_You._

_Subconsciously, you took a step back. This guy was a complete stranger, and you didn't want to take anymore chances.  
            "..Me?" The rabbit nodded._

_You. Are in grave danger. The others say you will not listen. They have sent me in their stead._

_"Others?" No later than the words left your mouth did you realize who Shadow Bonnie was talking about. "The phantom animatronics? Seff has been saving me from-"_

_Hush. Do not say his name. He is not who you think he is._

_That was the second time someone had said that. Coupled with the suspicions you've had about Seff, fate definitely trying to tell you something, and there was no denying it. Maybe Shadow Bonnie was trying to help you after all.  
            "....Ok. You're here to tell me something, then?" They nodded in confirmation. "And you're not gonna hurt me or turn this into a nightmare, right?"_

_No. Under no circumstances am I allowed to let anyone or anything interrupt this dream of yours, unless there is something in the waking world that required your attention._

_"So...if there an alarm or something that's set to wake me up?"_

_Yes._

_Well, if they were true to their word, then nothing would come to scare or hurt you. If the phantoms went through all this trouble just to tell you something, then it must be important. Of course, if they had just started off talking to you instead of giving you nightmares, maybe you would have trusted them more, but this was probably their last ditch effort to communicate. Whoever Shadow Bonnie really was, they looked like a difficult person to get ahold of. It'd be best not to waste their time.  
            "Alright. I'll listen." The rabbit bowed their head in gratitude._

_Thank you, ______._

__

 

__

 

__

 

__

 

__

 

_We have_ much _to discuss..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shadow Bonnie is our second genderless character, yaaaaaaaay! Their dialogue confuses me at times when I'm writing it ;u;


	18. Please Explain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow Bonnie discusses a few things with you. Meanwhile, Alex does some digging of his own.

_As you can imagine, the others are quite anxious to speak to you.  
  
            "You mean the phantoms." Shadow Bonnie gave you a nod.  
  
            Because you refuse to listen, they have sent me instead, as I have already explained. Why is this so, ______?  
  
            It was strange to hear your name, not even in actual speech, no less. Just thought.  
            "Well, if they didn't give me nightmares and constantly attack me and my friend, then I'd probably be willing to listen!!" You crossed your arms defensively as the rabbit seemed to process this bit of information.  
  
            ...I see. While that would have been optimal, I must confess that your 'friend' is putting you in grave danger.  
  
            You only raised a brow in confusion, but Shadow Bonnie took that as their cue to elaborate.  
  
            In actuality, ______, your friend _is _the danger. He is not truly saving you.  
  
            "N-"  
  
            Do not deny it, for you do not know him as you think you do. No matter how friendly he may seem, that man is hiding his ruthlessness under a cunning disguise. In fact, you've come into contact with this side more times than you remember.  
  
            "Woah, woah, woah, hold the phone. I only saw him being aggressive when he saved me. Twice! Who are _you _to say he's dangerous?" While you were expecting the shadow to defend their accusation, you most certainly did not expect their smile to widen. It creeped you out, and it wasn't helping their impression on you, but you had promised to hear them out, so... You'd just have to deal with it.  
  
            I am perfectly qualified to say this. He had assaulted me on more than one occasion when I was living.  
  
            This made your stomach flip. There was no way this bunny used to be a person too. Were all the people you came into contact with just long-dead spirits?  
  
            Keep your composure, ______. A Fazbear employee is not rattled so easily. At least, not outwardly.  
  
           "You..." Something about those words filled you with a familiar dread. "...Were you an employee? Just like Springtrap?" A nod followed suit.  
  
            Recall the purple rabbit suit you mentioned. That was my death. I cannot say exactly what trapped me here, for I can no longer remember, but I have taken it upon myself to change the fate of every Night Guard that has arrived up until today. There was one young man, Jeremy Fitzgerald I believe, who was unfortunately unfazed by my attempts to scare him off. Since then, I have resorted to...speaking. I find people are prone to listening when they believe the one speaking to them is not harmful.  
  
            "....Well, fuck..." That was a lot to take in. Shadow Bonnie basically just confirmed your feelings that Seff was hiding something big from you. And he had assaulted them too? With this rabbit having been a Fazbear employee as well, that must mean Seff...  
            "Was everyone just an employee at that restaurant? Please say yes."  
  
            Yes.  
  
            "Really?"  
  
            No. You asked me to say yes, and I did. The truth of the matter is that while that man was an employee like myself, the others were not.  
  
            "...It's true then." The churning in your gut returned full force. "The phantoms are those five dead children. I-I've been hanging around with the spirits of people who were all brutally murdered thirty plus years ago."  
  
            ______? Are you well? You look faint. Perhaps you should sit. We are located in your bedroom after all.  
  
            "..Yeah..." You gave a shaky nod before nearly collapsing on the bed behind you, the cushiony surface offering some slight comfort. "I think...that's a good idea.." The rabbit was silent for a moment to let you collect yourself, but soon became impatient. You would only be asleep for so long, after all.  
  
            Are you ready for me to continue?  
  
            "...Sure..."  
  
            Very well. As it has been stated, that former employee is putting you in danger, for he himself is the force that may well end your life.  
  
            "Ok, you've got to be kidding me. The guy really likes me, meaning he has no reason to kill me!"  
  
            Then why is he 'defending' you from the others?  
  
            Shadow Bonnie had glitched for a moment when lifting their hands up to form air quotes around one of their words. It was a little difficult to tell due to their continued glitching every time they moved, but you got the gist of it. However, you needed an answer for their question, and so far you were drawing a blank.  
  
            "....Because...they keep-"  
  
            Attacking you? They're children, ______. They know better than anyone else how dangerous that man is, and the only reason they gave you so many nightmares was to scare you away. They are trying to protect you, ______.  
  
            "...Protect me from what?" Shadow Bonnie didn't say-think, technically- a word. It wasn't until you had some time to think back on everything they just said that you finally realized it. "They're...protecting me from him. Jesus, you've been repeating it this whole time and I didn't get it??"  
  
            This...Springtrap. He is not safe. You are being deceived, and the longer you continue to be blinded, the more your life is in danger. Once he and the others get into an altercation bad enough, you may try to intervene and may have your life choked out of you. According to the others, it has almost happened before. On your second night, I believe.  
  
            Oh. You remembered that. It was back when Spring hadn't gotten to know you and vice versa, but this bunny had a point. Spring, or at least they guy inside him, seemed a little aggressive even when he was relaxed. If his anger wasn't aimed at you, it was aimed at someone else. Who knows when you would find yourself on his business end again? Yikes.  
  
            "Ok, so what do I do?"  
  
            Simple. First you must accept that the man in your dreams and Springtrap are not seperate beings.  
  
            "Wh-"  
  
            Think about it. Have either of them ever said something that did not fit? He must have slipped up at some point.  
  
            "Well, uh..." It would take some time, but you mentally went over everything you could remember either of them saying to you. However, once you had begun looking at everything altogether, the inconsistencies were very, very clear. When Seff had first showed up in your dreams, he had known your name without you telling him. Not only that, but he had introduced himself in the exact same way he had when posing as Springtrap. You had caught on when he had repeated another line from 'Springtrap', but by far the most condemning piece of evidence(besides knowing your name) was the question he had asked when you were coming to him for help. He hadn't known _anything  _about Springtrap, and yet...  
            'You want to ask me...about a rabbit?'  
  
            "..He's been lying to me? This whole time?" You received a nod from Shadow Bonnie.  
  
  
            Did you ever question how he had come to be in your dreams? As a corpse in that suit, the connection to the others is obvious, but why would a man in purple suddenly appear from seemingly nowhere?  
  
            "Oh my god..." You covered your face in shame at the(pretty obvious) discovery. "I'm such a fucking idiot! How did I not see this earlier?!" And here you thought you were smart enough to see Fazbear's Fright for what it really is, but_nooo _. Seff had been playing you for a fool this whole time. Did he even really enjoy spending time with you? Why wouldn't he have told you what his real name was when you asked him as Springtrap? What was the point of all this???  
  
            "...Wait. That doesn't explain why he's putting me in danger."  
  
            Your confusion means there is more to discuss. However, it is time for you to awaken.  
  
           Shadow Bonnie waved a hand in farewell, their glitching still making it difficult to tell.  
  
            I shall wait here for when you next fall asleep. Until then, ha-  
  
            "Hold on! If Sprintr- er, Seff has been hiding himself from me, does he actually mean everything he said? Does he really even like me??" For a short moment, there was no answer, leaving you guessing all the while. Shockingly, the rabbit's grin fell into a frown, and Shadow Bonnie finally answered.  
  
            Unfortunately...yes.  
  
\--_  
  
            Before you could speak, your eyes fluttered open, the ceiling greeting you once more. Sunlight filtered in from the nearby window, casting a calming light for you to think in. With everything you had just heard, you'd need some coffee before continuing to process it. Thankfully you hadn't used it all up last time, and as the coffee maker warmed up, you decided to try navigating your thoughts.  
            If everything Shadow Bonnie told you was true, then that meant it was official. Any romantic feelings you may have developing for Seff had been crushed under the weight of the new knowledge you had gained. Although you weren't sure how it would work if they had grown strong enough and the two of you had started dating, there was no chance of it happening now. Call it vain, but there was _no way_ you would date a dead body. That would fall under necrophilia, and _that_ shit was not cute. However, Seff may not even be romantically interested in you. Maybe he just wanted some different company after being shut in a room with five kids for thirty years? That would be logical. You could only hope that was what he was really after because if he wanted something more, then there was something seriously messed up with him.  
            Actually, wait. The fact that he had tried to kill you already proved that. Sure, maybe he really was upset like he said, and sure, you didn't know how it felt to lie dead in an empty room with kids you didn't want to talk to, but there had to be a better explanation. Seff had a certain air about him before you had struck that deal to just talk to each other. In a way, he seemed almost...predatory.  
            The shiver that went down your spine at the thought confirmed it, and even provided a description for the unsettling grin he held when hurting Golden Freddy. Something was definitely wrong with your 'knight in purple armor'. Perhaps he wasn't your knight at all, let alone Mr. Right, as you may have eventually thought. However bad he seemed though, being friends would still be nice. In that case, you really hoped he didn't turn out to be Mr. Wrong.  
  
            Oh. The coffee was done. While pouring it in your favorite mug and adding sugar or cream to your liking, you decided to give the subject a rest. Shadow Bonnie had made it clear that there was more you had yet to know, so what good would it do to dwell on things? After all, there was one more day before you had to go back to work. Why not enjoy yourself and take a break? That was what weekends were for, right? Plus, the prospect of completely relaxing was very tempting as you took a sip of coffee. Why shouldn't you take the day off? You deserved it.  
            Yeah, no worries about dead children or shadowy corporations. Just having a good time.  
            Sounded like heaven...  
  
  
  
  
  
\--  
  
            A door creaked open in the dim light.  
            "..H-Hello?" The figure let the door shut behind him, taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the light before continuing through the hallway. "I know you're here..." He peeked around the corner, making sure nothing was there to ambush him. "Please don't kill me. I only wanna talk..."  
            There. In the corner behind one of the arcade machines stood a rabbit, staring at the spot where a camera hung on the wall. The man hesitantly approached it, making sure to stay well out of arm's reach just in case. The rabbit didn't move.  
            "Listen, uh..." Damn. He wasn't sure how to go about this. What would you do in this situation? Knowing you, it'd probably be to give total honesty and not beat around the bush. It was worth a shot. "M-My name is Alex. I'm, uh, technically the owner of this place, but...not really, I guess. These shady guys found me, saying they were from the old restaurant and giving me what for. I'm sure you might know who I'm talking about.." Alex shifted nervously on his feet. The rabbit stood still.  
            "They're making sure I don't rat them out about all these secrets I apparently found. You included." It was only after an audible creak that Alex realized the rabbit was now staring at him. He jumped backwards, cussing a bit due to the sudden surprise. When the animatronic didn't do anything, he decided to keep going and not waste any more time.  
  
            "I-I know you were a person, a-and those guys don't want me hanging around you. I'm not sure if it's safety reasons or because secrets or what, but, uh... I-It's bad enough that ______ had to find out before me and I wasn't able to be there for support, but now they don't want me interacting with her as often anymore in case...something-" Alex's breath caught in his throat as something he was not prepared for began to happen.  
   
  
  
  
  
            The rabbit was beginning to walk towards him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another song reference in the title. I will love you forever if you can tell me what it is.


	19. The Holder of Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex begins to see what's really going on here.

Alex was frozen in place. The animatronic he had found was now approaching him, making it clear just how big it was as it came closer. He was shaking in fear by the time it stopped in front of him, and when it raised an arm, he squeezed his eyes closed. He wouldn't be able to look it in the eye as it did whatever it would do, so Alex could only hear the sound of his heartbeat as he waited for it to close its hand around his throat...  
  
            Instead, it came to rest on top of his head.  
  
            The young man dared to peek, only to see the rabbit hold a hand to its own head. It looked like...it was measuring their height differences? What the hell?  
  
            "W̢o͠w̛.͡ ̵Y̕o̸u're ͝r̨e̕a͜l҉l̨y̧ sm̧al͞l̛." Alex stared in shock.  
  
            "..Uh..." The rabbit blinked down at him.  
  
            "Ho̡w̴ ̴t̛al̢l͞ ar͘e̷ yo̸u̡? ͝4'7̵"̵?͘" Alex suddenly felt felt  smaller than he already was, his voice coming out as a small whimper.  
  
            "4'5"..."  
  
            "D͢amn͞.̨ A̡nd y͏ou d̷e҉f͜i͠ed ̷th͘o͜s͟e̴ a̴ssh̴ol͡es ju̡st to͞ ͟com̵e͡ a̶nd i̛ntr͡o͠du͟ce ̢yo̴u͡rsel͝f?" The rabbit have him an approving nod. "C҉olo͝r̢ ̴me imp͜res͢sed̴."  
  
            "W-What?" Did this guy just complement him? Oh man, this was going better than expected. "Wow, uh... Thanks, dude."  
  
            "N͟ow,̷ ̡w̶ḩa̷t̕ w̨as this ̷ąboưt ̶_͞_̴____̢?̴"  
  
            "Oh, right, um.. Those guys didn't want me hanging around her anymore in case, like, anything, uh...happens to her."  
  
            "..͡.̢T̨he̕y ҉t̶h̕in̴g I͟'̛m ͠g͟oing t͟o kill̛ ͢h͞er,͞ ̛d͟on'͏t̕ ̴t͡hey̵?̶" With an uncomfortable grimace, Alex nodded his head. The rabbit sighed. "O͡f ̡co͢ur̕se ̢t̴he͠y ͠do. Don'͞t͠ ͜w͢o͟r̢r̨y̡,͝ ҉I̶ h͘a͟v͝e ̸h̸e͏r͘ c̴ov̛ere͝d. ̕T̴h͜e ͡ot͟hers ̴w͜o̷n't ̧g̸et̕ t͝o̸ ͜h̛er i͠f I͡ ͠ha̡ve a̛n͡y̡thi͡ng ͠t̷o ͘sąy ąb͞out͘ it." There were _others?_ Good lord, what had he been thinking making you work here??  
  
            "U-Uh, w-well, I, um.... Thank you." The rabbit gave a thoughtful him. This Alex person seemed to put a bit more thought into things than Springtrap first thought from the descriptions you had given. Then again, you never talked about him much either. The fact that this guy had the balls to try and keep running the place after being threatened spoke volumes, but it was probably his curiosity that got him in trouble anyway. He probably looked up as much as he could, and- ...Wait a minute.  
  
            "Tho̢se҉ ̵g͜u͟ys̵ o͡n̵l̵y͜ came ͢to͜ yo͞u afţe͡r̨ ͠yơu ͠s̨e͡a̢r͢ched for info, ͠rig̸ht?͜" The small man gave him a nod. "So͠ ҉you͡ r҉eaḑ th͘e͏ new͠s̕.͡ ̢Wh̛a̵t ̶did ̛y̷o͞u şe̢e?" It took Alex a moment to recal, mainly due to being caught by surprise from the question, but he was able to summarize in a few sentences.  
  
            "Well, uh, there were, like, these five kids that went missing and then turned up in the animatronic suits. No one ever caught the guy that did it, and Freddy's went through, like, a lot of night guards, and even a few other employees. No names though. Couldn't find any." Good. There was no real mention of Springtrap in his past life, meaning he was only known to the spirits of those kids. Although, if he knew anything, they would likely try to warn Alex about him early on, rather than waiting like they did for you. To keep up appearances, he sighed in faux frustration.  
  
            "Figu͟re̢s̡. G͝ues͏s ̨I sh̢o͡ul̵dn͞'͟t ̸bo͜th̸e͜r̸ ͡t̴rying̶ ̨to rem̵em̕b͢er͠ my ͢n͟ame͡ a̴ny̵more ̛i̧f ̶th̕ey're ͠n͢o҉t͏ ͞e͏v͢ȩn͡ g̷oi͜ng ̡t̢o ̷m̶e̵ntion me͏..҉.̧" The conversation lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, leaving Alex feeling incredibly awkward and unsure of what to do. He didn't want to press the rabbit about his real name because he didn't want to deal with a sad person he knew nothing about. Call it selfish, but there was only so much of this stuff he could take. Maybe it was time to leave?  
  
            "Well, uh... I think I'm gonna head home, dude. Take care of ______ for me, please." Shit! If he was leaving, then there wasn't enough time for Springtrap to think of a real plan! There had to be a way to keep him from at least contacting you if he found out the truth, but how could he- Oh. Of course. Hee could always do _that_. Granted, he would look like a complete weirdo, but if it bought him more time to try and keep the truth from you, then so be it. Just as Alex was taking his first step down the hallway, Springtrap spoke up.  
  
            "He͘y͠, ͝ca͢n ͜you d̴o ̕m҉e a q͞ui͞ck favor̸ be̵f̵o̴re you̸ ̛g͞o̷?҉" The smaller man turned back towards him.  
  
            "Oh, uh, sure. Depends what it is, though." Well, here goes nothing.  
  
            "Alri͏gh̸t, ̶t̡h͢is͜ ͏i̸s̕ ̕gonna ͢so̶u̡nd ͏sup̢e͠r͞ we͡ir͜d a͠nd cr̴ee͜p̕y̢,͢ ̵but̶...could yo͟u̧ ͠g͞iv͜e̸ mȩ a͡ ḩug̢?" More silence ensued, and Alex began to feel a little creeped out. Why would some undead stranger want to hug him? This guy wasn't a pedophile in a past life, was he??  
  
            "Wh-"  
  
            "L̢ook̢,̵ I ̛g͡et҉ ̷it͜.͢ ̸Som̛e dead ģuy who isn̢'̷t ͞su͞p͠p͡ose̸d ͢t̕o ͡b̨e̡ ͜a̧l͜iv̢e is a͠s̵k͠iņg͘ a̧ p͝e̵r̨s̡on h̷e͜ ͏d͡oesn͜'t̶ ̴even kn͠o̢w for͜ a ͘hug.̴ ̧It̡'̶s̵ su̶pe̕r wei̢rd҉, ̶b̢ut͡ I̵ ̡ca̛n ͞pr҉om͘ise y͞o̢u I'͜m n͝ot s̶o̢m͏e ki͢nd of͘ s͘i̧ck͘o̴." He never did keep his promises anyway. "Just̸ ̸lęt me͝ t҉e̡ll you͝ t̸his.͡ I̡ ͢wo̵u͞ld hąve a͟şk̶ed ͞_͏_̛_͘_̸_̸_, ̡but ̛come ͝on͝,͘ ͡t̕h͝a̕t woul͟d kind o̶f b̨e ͡h͠a͜rŗas̕sm̢eņt̢. I'm̴ de̕ad, s͡h͢ę'̛s̴ ̛a̷live̛, an͘d ҉I͏ ̶am̛ ̢no̕t in҉to͞ a̡n̵y o̡f̸ ͟t͞ha͏t̶ n̕e͜cr͞o-͢what͝e̶ver shi̶t̴, so ͞th͠a̶t̨ w̡o̕u͘ld̕ ̧j҉us͝t make it ͟wei͠rder. ̡Y̨o̧u ̴g̢et͜ w̷ha̧t I҉ ͜m̕ea͞n?̶" Alex just stared.  
  
            "...Not really.."  
  
            "I̛ ҉ha̕ven͢'͟t͝ see̡n ̷or to͝uc͘he̸d͝ an̶o̧t͜her͘ p̛e̴rson̡ ̷for҉ ̕th̢i̧r͝t̷y͠ y͜e̛ars͘. ͢T͡hat's̢ ͞my p̴oi̵nţ.͢ ͝All ͟I'm ask̷i̵n̕g ͢for is̛ a͡ hu͢g.͘ ͡N͢o̧w,͞ ̢w͜ould ̶y͏o͠u̴ r͝aţh̕er ̵a dea͠d ͞we̛ir̴do ̡h҉ug y̷o͜u͢, ̕o̵r͏ woul̸d ̕you ra͡th̵e͏r͞ ͞i̴t ͞be͘ ͝___̴___?̵ ͘Be͘cąuse ̷t̸h͝a҉t̶ w̛ou͝l͏d ̴m̷ake ͏it e̸v͡e͞n ͘wo̸rse.҉"  
  
            "Oh.... I, uh... Sure, I guess." The smaller man approached Springtrap, and the two of them awkwardly slid into a hug, both parties feeling extremely uncomfortable. Not a second later, Alex pulled away while Spring simultaneously stepped back.  
  
            "T͡hank҉s.͡"  
  
            "Whatever, man." Alex hastily made his way to the exit before things could get any weirder, leaving the rabbit alone again. As soon as he was out of earshot, Speingtrap let out a low chuckle and held up something small and rectangular in his hand.  
  
            "He͡h. ̨Fu̧çk̛i̧nģ ͢c̡o͝wa͠r̴d.̧" He crushed the device without hesitation, the electronics crackling and sparking between his fingers. Springtrap threw the broken device to the ground and stomped on it for good measure. Should Alex find out more than he already knows, he wouldn't be able to warn you unless he met you in person, which now have Spring enough time to think of a way to keep you from leaving.  
            Things were going so well lately, and the man inside the suit found the permanent smile feeling more genuine again. He was beginning to feel like his old self now, determined to keep you all to himself.  
  
            And there would be no stopping him.  
  
\--  
  
           Alex strode through the hallways towards the exit, thoroughly creeped out by the animatronic he had met. He knew there was a person in there, but it was really difficult to see him as one considering the whole 'dead for thirty years' thing. At least he didn't seem hostile like those Fazbear goons made him out to be. Maybe you were safer here than he originally thought?  
            Mm...No. Something in his gut told Alex that wasn't quite right. It was probably the 'others' that animatronic mentioned and promised to keep you safe from. Jesus, everything was just so complicated! All he had wanted to do was just open a scary haunted house and make some money off it! Was that too much to ask??  
  
            "At least ______ will be safe while I- _mmph!!"_ A set of hands grabbed him. One had closed over his mouth to keep him from screaming, while the other had wrapped around his midsection and dragged him towards the body holding him in place. All of this happened in a second, not giving him enough time to react, and all Alex could do was struggle against the iron grip with all his might. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do anything but tire him out, but he couldn't give up just yet. He had to get back and-  
  
            "Ἤἔẏ ҭђἔʀἔ." Alex froze at the sound of the strange voice. Oddly enough, it sounded kind of friendly, which greatly confused him. "Ἷ ḋἷḋᾗ'ҭ мἔᾄᾗ ҭὄ ғʀἷʛђҭἔᾗ ẏὄὗ, вὗҭ Ἷ'м ṩὗʀἔ ẏὄὗ ᾧὄὗłḋᾗ'ҭ ђᾄvἔ łἷṩҭἔᾗἔḋ ἷғ Ἷ ʝὗṩҭ ῥὄῥῥἔḋ ὗῥ ἷᾗ ғʀὄᾗҭ ὄғ ẏὄὗ." The voice sighed. "Ŀὄὄќ, Ἷ'м ʛὄἷᾗʛ ҭὄ łἔҭ ẏὄὗ ʛὄ, вὗҭ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ṩƈʀἔᾄм ὄʀ ʀὗᾗ. Ẃἔ'ʀἔ ᾗὄҭ ђἔʀἔ ҭὄ ќἷłł ẏὄὗ-" Alex couldn't help but try to get free again. Every time someone said that in an ambush, they only wanted to lull their target into a false sense of security, and this guy had said 'we', meaning there were more threats than just the one holding Alex right now. However, his struggling only made the aggressor's grip tighten to where it was starting to become painful. "Ẃђᾄҭ ḋἷḋ Ἷ ʝὗṩҭ ṩᾄẏ?! Ẃἔ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ᾧᾄᾗҭ ҭὄ ђὗʀҭ ẏὄὗ!" Alex tried to elbow the guy in the ribs, but he only met some kind of metal, resulting in a very bad elbow ache. "Ἤἔẏ!! Ẃὄὗłḋ ẏὄὗ ʝὗṩҭ-  
  
  
  
            "Ṩҭὄῥ..." Oh. Now some kind of puppet thing was now in front of him, although it looked very scorched. "______ ἷṩ ἷᾗ ḋᾄᾗʛἔʀ..." At that, Alex stopped struggling. Did this thing just say your name?  
  
            "ᾋвὄὗҭ ḋᾄмᾗ ҭἷмἔ. Јἔἔẓ." The hands let him go, and Alex turned to find another animatronic, with more a little ways behind him. They each looked broken and burned, but..somehow not hostile? How did that work? "Ŀἷṩҭἔᾗ ќἷḋ, łἔҭ'ṩ ʝὗṩҭ ʛἔҭ ʀἷʛђҭ ҭὄ ҭђἔ ῥὄἷᾗҭ. Ҭђᾄҭ ʀᾄввἷҭ ẏὄὗ ʝὗṩҭ мἔҭ? Ἤἔ'ṩ ᾄ мὗʀḋἔʀἔʀ." Silence.  
  
            ".....Huh?..." The fox behind him-was that Foxy the Pirate??-spoke up next.  
  
            "Ẃἔ вἔ ђἔʀἔ ғἔʀ ᾄ ʀἔᾄṩὄᾗ. Ҭђ' ғἷvἔ мἷṩṩἷᾗ' ќἷḋḋἷἔṩ ẏἔ ʀἔᾄḋ ᾄвὄὗҭ? Ὓἔʀ łὄὄќἷᾗ' ᾄҭ 'ἔм." More silence. The chicken-Chica, right?-took her turn next.  
  
            "Ὃὗʀ ṩῥἷʀἷҭṩ ќἷᾗḋ ὄғ ʛὄҭ ҭἷἔḋ ҭὄ ҭђἔ ṩὗἷҭṩ ᾧἔ ᾧἔʀἔ ṩҭὗғғἔḋ ἷᾗ, ᾄᾗḋ ᾗὄᾧ ᾧἔ ƈᾄᾗ'ҭ łἔᾄvἔ. Ƥłὗṩ, ᾧἔ ђᾄvἔ ҭὄ łἷvἔ ᾧἷҭђ ὄὗʀ мὗʀḋἔʀἔʀ, ᾄᾗḋ ṩἔἔἷᾗʛ ᾄṩ ђἔ'ṩ ҭђἔ ὄᾗἔ ᾧђὄ ќἷłłἔḋ ὗṩ..." She paused. "...Ẃἔ ђᾄҭἔ ђἷм. ᾋ łὄҭ." The animatronics gave Alex some time to think, which was a blessing, really. All of this was so sudden, he hadn't even started processing the fact that these were apparently the dead kids from the news. And if he heard right, they said they were living with their murderer? There were five burned animatronics here, and five dead kids, so that could only mean...  
  
            Alex paled. "..The rabbit..."  
  
            "Ẃἔ ҭʀἷἔḋ ҭὄ ṩƈᾄʀἔ ______ ᾄᾧᾄẏ ἷᾗ ҭђἔ вἔʛἷᾗᾗἷᾗʛ," the bear explained. If memory served correctly, he was known as Freddy Fazbear. "ϐὗҭ ҭђἔ ʛὗẏ ἷᾗ ҭђᾄҭ ṩὗἷҭ мᾄᾗᾄʛἔḋ ҭὄ ҭὗʀᾗ ђἔʀ ᾄʛᾄἷᾗṩҭ ὗṩ. Ɠʀᾄᾗҭἔḋ, ᾧἔ ƈὄὗłḋ ђᾄvἔ ʛὄᾗἔ ᾄвὄὗҭ ᾧᾄʀᾗἷᾗʛ ђἔʀ вἔҭҭἔʀ, вὗҭ ᾗὄᾧ ṩђἔ ҭђἷᾗќṩ ђἔ'ṩ ҭђἔ ʛὄὄḋ ʛὗẏ. Ẃἔ'vἔ ҭʀἷἔḋ ᾄ łὄҭ ὄғ ᾧᾄẏṩ ҭὄ ҭἔłł ђἔʀ ҭђἔ ҭʀὗҭђ, ᾄᾗḋ ʀἷʛђҭ ᾗὄᾧ ᾧἔ'ʀἔ ᾄҭ ὄὗʀ łᾄṩҭ ṩҭʀᾄᾧ. Ἷғ ҭђἷṩ ғἷᾗᾄł ҭђἷᾗʛ ḋὄἔṩᾗ'ҭ ᾧὄʀќ, ᾧἔ ʝὗṩҭ ᾧᾄᾗҭ ẏὄὗ ҭὄ ќᾗὄᾧ ᾧἔ ḋἷḋ ἔvἔʀẏҭђἷᾗʛ ᾧἔ ƈὄὗłḋ вἔғὄʀἔ ᾄᾗẏҭђἷᾗʛ ᾧὄʀṩἔ ђᾄῥῥἔᾗṩ. Ṃᾄẏвἔ ẏὄὗ ƈὄὗłḋ ҭᾄłќ ṩὄмἔ ṩἔᾗṩἔ ἷᾗҭὄ ______, ṩἔἔἷᾗʛ ᾄṩ ђὄᾧ ẏὄὗ'ʀἔ ᾄ ғʀἷἔᾗḋ ὄғ ђἔʀṩ.Now some small boy he had never seen ran up to him, his little white eyes staring directly into Alex's.  
  
            "Ƥʀὄмἷṩἔ ẏὄὗ'łł ђἔłῥ ҭђἔ ῥʀἔҭҭẏ łᾄḋẏ, мἷṩҭἔʀ! Ἷ ḋὄᾗ'ҭ ᾧᾄᾗᾗᾄ ṩἔἔ ђἔʀ ʛἔҭ ђὗʀҭ!"  
  
            "Ј̕̕͞Ȓ ̸Ƥ͏͞Ɲᾋ͞ᾋ̡̛͜ϐ͏͟Ɠ̢͘ ὛȒ͘Ɠ̛ ȖV̨Ẕ̴ ͠Ɠ̨͟͡Ɲ̕Ẋ̨Ȓ̡͠ ͝͡Ɲ̶̷͡ᾋϐƓ̷̢͢Ȗ͏Ȓ̸̸Ἕ͘̕͞ Ғ̴ϐ͡͏̨ἬὛ͏.̛̕"  
  
            ".....Uh...." Oh wow, this was a lot to take in. These animatronics-wait, weren't they kids?-just came out of nowhere and bombarded Alex with this information, asking him to help you, but his brain hadn't been able to keep up, leaving him in shocked silence. He honestly didn't know if these things- er, kids would really hurt him or not, and now he was uncertain as to exactly who in this place was trustworthy or not. It was all too much at the moment, and if Alex didn't do something about it soon, he was going to basically shut down due to fear and confusion. Naturally, he didn't want that to happen, so Alex did the thing he did best.  
  
            He ran.  
  
            Dashing down the hallways, he didn't stop even after he had pushed the door open. It was only once he reached the safety of his car and locked the doors did he relax and allow himself as many shaky breaths as he could manage, which was kind of weird if one thought about it. Who wants to take a bunch of shaky breaths? Yeah no. He'd be better off thinking about what had just happened inside the attraction now that he was relatively safe. Only after he got home, though. If he stuck around, one of those goons might show up and catch him, and Alex knew they were not to be taken lightly. How long has he even spent here, anyway? Whatever. He could just check when he got home.  
            Alex pulled out of the attraction and began making his way back home. After that ordeal, he'd need something to relax. Maybe that slice of cake he really didn't need. Either way, he had to commend you for dealing with those things in the building for a whole week. That took much more guts than he had, and Alex didn't want to go back any time soon. Maybe he could just close the place down and let you off the hook? But then he'd get a lot of criticism from society for leading them on. Jeez, this whole thing was just one big mess. He'd need to talk it over with you when he got home, day off or not...  
  
            It didn't take too long for Alex to arrive home, and he decided that a few episodes of One Punch Man would be better than cake. He could just call you later and talk the situation over with you then. For now, he would just focus on the hilarity of Saitama's overwhelming strength. No killer animatronics or people in them or whatever.  
  
            Just a moment to relax.  
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
            ....But that didn't help the wave of guilt that swept over Alex when he thought of what he put you through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangle's line.
> 
> "WE CANNOT LET HIM TAKE ANOTHER SOUL."


	20. What's in a Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have some concerning thoughts.

You were having a nice day. Granted it was almost over, but you had enjoyed your time off nonetheless. A little shopping spree at the mall gifted you with some new clothes, a fresh batch of tea from some really cool tea shop, and a weird-but-strangely-adorable platypus plushie. After that followed a taste test of your new tea, along with a few episodes of your favorite show (thankfully still)on Netflix, then a nice hot meal after _that_. You had gone for a stroll a little before sunset to walk off a bit of the food, and now you were chilling on your couch just listening to some music. A contented sigh escaped your mouth as you sank deeper into the cushions. This was the most relaxing day you'd had in a week.  
  
            "I wish...Springtrap could feel like this." Aaand there it was. It was almost guaranteed that the attraction would pop up in your thoughts at some point in the day, but at least it wasn't anything about the dead- never mind. You weren't going to go there. Instead, you just wanted to keep relaxing. A shower would do some good, and then it would probably be time to go to sleep.  
            Oh, but you were just so comfy here on the couch! It wasn't a bed, but the position you were in was simply divine, and you just wished you could stay that way and not have to deal with anything else. You weren't stressed at all, and you couldn't help but sigh once more. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to shut your eyes for a little bit. You'd be right up after a few moments anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem. And if you somehow fell asleep, you'd still have the entire next day to shower before work at night, though the sleep schedule might be a bit difficult to get over. Either way, you'd have nothing to lose. What would be the harm in it?  
            You shut your eyes and smiled, relaxing even more if that was still possible. It was only for a few moments, and you slowly opened your eyes again, only to see someone standing above you, looming over your body on the couch.  
  
            _"SHIT-" You snapped your arm out without thinking, and your fist collided with something solid and yet not solid at all. Shadow Bonnie stumbled back, their body a mess of pixels and code until they tripped over the coffee table and landed on their back, opting to stay there rather than move.  
  
            ...I did not expect that to actually hurt.  
  
            "Oh my god, I am so sorry!!" You jolted up, quickly running over to check if the rabbit was injured at all. They just blinked up at you for a moment, their mouth a straight row of teeth instead of their usual smile. They looked quite flummoxed, and neither of you said anything until you held out a hand to help them up.  
  
            I do not like being touched.  
  
            "I- Oh fuck-" You withdrew your hand, fiddling with your shirt and backing up nervously as the shadow glitched into a standing position. "Please don't be angry."  
  
            You did not know. It is my fault for frightening you in the first place. If anything, you should be the angry one. I was mistaken for thinking you were half asleep.  
  
            The rabbit paused, not sure what else to say. How would one come back from an awkward situation like that? Luckily, you spoke before anymore awkward silence could ensue.  
  
            "I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?" It had felt really strange when you punched the rabbit. Your hand definitely came into contact with something, but at the same time, it was like you punched the air, your fist pushing it out of the way instead of just going through it. If that made any sense. You couldn't really describe it very well, but nevertheless, you had hit your new acquaintance on accident and felt incredibly bad about it. Luckily, Shadow Bonnie's smile came back, making you sigh in relief.  
  
            I am fine. I just wanted to see how you were doing, and didn't think my actions through. My apologies.  
  
            "Oh. That's okay." You shuffled your feet awkwardly before deciding to take things in another direction. "Well, if you were really wondering... I enjoyed my day off. It was so chill that I ended up falling asleep on the couch, and that's how I got here. It's the most relaxed I've been in a week." The rabbit's smile widened.  
  
            That is good to hear. You deserve days such as this one. Though I believe you still have work tomorrow, correct?  
  
            You nodded, remembering the last conversation you'd had with the shadow. "Yeah, I gotta go back. The attraction opens tomorrow, and Alex-" You paused, memories of his confession and apology coming back to you. God, you hoped he was alright. "Alex wanted me to, uh.. Watch the place while everyone's there. Apparently I'm playing the security guard in there, and Springtrap is supposed to try and get to me." You went quiet, the questions from last time returning to your head. Given what Shadow Bonnie had said, Springtrap honestly might like you as a friend or something, but you couldn't be sure. After all, he was very aggressive, and he had hidden his true name from you, and you didn't even know why. What reason did he have to do such things? Why was he so angry and aggressive? Why was everyone trying to keep him away from you? That one already had an answer: he was dangerous. But in what way? What was the reason for everyone's worry? If your life was in danger, you'd have to be careful and pretend you didn't know Seff was Spring. Who knows how the guy would react to that.  
  
           You have questions. I can see it on your face.  
  
            "Oh, uh- Yeah. But I don't really know where to start." Shadow Bonnie nodded in understanding and was about to reply, when there was a knock on the front door. The knob turned and in walked Seff, a carefree smile on his face.  
  
            "Hey ______, I wanted to-" He froze in place, the smile dropping when he saw who was with you. At the same time, Shadow Bonnie visibly stiffened, their hands clenching into fists.  
  
             **You.**  
  
            "Oh shit." The man in purple quickly backed up, looking shocked and afraid, something you weren't used to seeing. Even more surprising, the soft sunlight filtering through the windows faded and all the lights inside began flickering violently, making everything much darker inside your house. Shadow Bonnie began glitching once more, swiftly making their way towards your previous savior.  
  
            **GET OUT. OR I WILL MAKE YOU.**  
  
            Seff didn't have to be told twice. Before the rabbit could reach him, the man bolted out the front door. You winced at the tone of voice the shadow used, for it had been hurting your head the entire time they spoke and even made you a little dizzy, forcing you to sit down. Shadow Bonnie somehow slammed the door without touching it, making the pain in your head a bit worse for a second from the sound. The rabbit turned, and once they saw the way you were cradling your head, they rushed over to you to make sure you were alright.  
  
            Oh. My god. I am so sorry.  
  
            The lights stopped flickering, and the light from outside slowly filtered through once more as the pain began to fade away.  
  
            ______, are you alright? Please be okay.  
  
            "Mm...yeah, I'm fine.." You groaned a bit, rubbing your temples to help the pain subside. It quickly went away, leaving you to sigh in relief. However, you couldn't ignore what had cause the pain in the first place. "The question is, are_you _okay? You got pretty angry there." The rabbit was quiet for a moment before turning their gaze to an interesting spot on the wall._  
  
            I cannot forgive the things he has done. That man deserves the fate he has now. He is beyond redemption.  
  
            Because that didn't make things more confusing. Oh well. You'd ask later. Right now, it seemed like both of you could use a break from thinking about the attraction.  
            "Hey. We can talk about this stuff later, ok? For now, let's just chill and pass the time." You began thinking of something to do, before realizing the perfect activity. It would surely cheer up your friend, as well as make things easier for you. "I know! Let's think up a name for you! Shadow Bonnie is a bit too long, anyway." The shadow turned their gaze back to you, somehow looking slightly surprised.  
  
            ...Alright. I think...I would like that.  
  
            "Cool!" You clapped your hands in approval, a light smile popping up on your face. "Let's just bounce off ideas to start, alright? How about Shad? Short, sweet, to the point."  
  
            I do not like the sound. It is very strange, and I would not like to be any stranger than I already am. The others called the previous Bonnie by the name of Bon Bon for short. How is that?  
  
            "I don't think it fits you. It's...a little girly? I don't know, it just doesn't fit. What about Shadow?"  
  
            Too mainstream.  
  
            You let out a sudden laugh, honestly not expecting that response from the rabbit. How did they even know that phrase?? Good god, that was unexpected!  
            "Haha, ok, ok! If that's too 'mainstream' for you, how about S.B?" Shadow Bonnie shook their head.  
  
            I do not like the sound of that one either.  
  
            You hummed in thought. That was pretty much all you had. Short list, yes, but it was a little difficult to find a name for someone who didn't remember theirs. Maybe they didn't even like the name Shadow Bonnie? It could be a bit derogatory if you thought about it, but you doubted the phantoms were mean to this guy. They were a pretty alright bunny, and while they were incredibly scary when angry, they honestly seemed to want to help you. If you could just find a new name for them.... Ah! Wait a minute!  
  
            "What about Essie? Shadow Bonnie starts with an 's', so how about that?"  
  
            ...Essie.... Yes, I believe that will work. I like that name. Essie.  
  
            Their smile widened just a little.  
  
            Thank you, ______.  
  
            "You're welcome." You smiled back, glad that something good had popped up in your head. The rabbit just needed to relax with you today and have some fun for once. You didn't know how long it has been since they had been happy and cheerful, but you were determined to change that.  
            "So, Essie." A playful smirk took the place of the previous smile. "Have you ever played a game called Super Smash Bros?" They tilted their head in confusion.  
  
             I... What on earth is that?  
  
            You almost set a hand on their shoulder, but jerked away when you remembered their previous statement. Instead, you crossed your arms, a wide grin spreading across your face.  
            "Ohhh, you have much to learn, my friend..." And so, the rest of your dream time would be spent teaching Essie the wonderful frustration of Super Smash Bros. You didn't know how long it would take for you to wake up, but that didn't matter. You fully intended to finish your day off in happiness, rather than worry or anger. There would be no troubling Essie with questions about Seff- or rather, Springtrap. After all, there was one more source you could go to before the attraction opened tomorrow, and hopefully they would give you the answers you seek. You'd have to confront them eventually anyway, so why not tomorrow before work became filled with excited customers?  
  
            You'd just have to hope Springtrap didn't find you first before you found the phantoms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Essie may seem like a more feminine name, but that will be explained somewhere else. Don't worry, you'll love it.


	21. No Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for some interrogation.

            Alex wasn't really sure how much stress he had been under earlier to ignore what those animatronics were saying, but once he had calmed down and gotten home safely, things _really_ hit the fan. If he remembered correctly, the first thing one of those animatronics said when he stopped struggling was that the rabbit he had found was a murderer, and accusations like that set off _all kinds_ of alarm bells. Alex would have questioned it at the time, but he was too afraid to even process anything.  
            The man sighed, taking a sip of his soda and setting it on the counter. He was going to try and eat something, but all this drama had upset him more than he realized. Now the man couldn't even hold down food very well. If only he hadn't opened that stupid attraction in the first place.  
            Thinking like that wouldn't help, though. What's done was done, and now he had to try and focus on the message from those weird animatronics. They said you were in danger, right? And...that they were the missing children from all those years ago... The rabbit was a murderer, you were in danger, and the spirits of those dead children were forever tied to those suits they were in...  
  
            "Oh god." Alex was an idiot. Did he really not see what those animatronics were trying to tell him?? If they were the missing children, and that rabbit was a murderer, then the he must have been _their_ murderer, and now those kids were trying to save _you_ from being killed just like them! To think those Fazbear goons and that rabbit were intimidating enough to blind him from the truth. Wow. Alex really _was_ a coward.  
            But that wasn't important right now. The rabbit was likely lying the entire time he said he'd protect you, just to get Alex off his back. How on earth did that child killer get into his attraction? The guy was in the suit the whole time, right? That's how he was when he'd first been dug out of the hidden room at the old location, so he must've been in there for quite a while if the suit was falling apart like that. If there was a guy in the suit, and he was able to fit completely without having to be shoved into it and having his bones broken, then that must mean that rabbit suit was one of the old spring lock suits from Fredbear's Family Diner. The phantoms already knew the guy was in there, so....were they the ones that put him there? But then again, they'd had who knows how many years to figure out who it was inside that suit. Whatever, it didn't matter right now. If what those phantoms said was true, Alex had only one day to warn you before you went in for work tonight. He better work fast.  
            Alex fished through his pocket, expecting to find his phone, and finding nothing but air. He could have sworn he had it, for he never left home without it, and began to panic when his other pocket turned up nothing. The man jumped up, his soda forgotten, and began to rummage through his house in search of the small device. It wasn't on his nightstand, the table, in the bathroom or anywhere else he checked, and Alex had to stop and take a breather before his panic kicked into overdrive. He was already scared for your life at work, but if he became any more fearful, he may just have an early heart attack.  
  
            "Ok dude, think, think. It's not in the car, so where is it? It's, uh..." Alex focused on his breathing, desperately trying to find his phone. If he didn't, he'd have to drive over to your house, and while he wouldn't mind doing that, he did live quite a ways away. It would take much more time than he might have, but if he couldn't find it...  
            Alex knew his phone was in his pocket when he drove to the attraction. If it wasn't here, it was over there, but he never took it out inside the building. He could have dropped it, but with how quiet it was in there, he'd have heard it fall, so the only thing that could've happened was-  
  
            _"Dude!! That asshole!!"_ The rabbit had taken it, probably when he'd given Alex a hug. He had to give the guy credit. That murderer was smart. However, Alex was determined to save you from his own mistake, and he would stop at nothing to get you to safety. He had to think this through though because if he remembered correctly, the phantoms had also said they tried to convince you the rabbit was bad, meaning you likely didn't know just how much danger you were in. He'd have to get backup in case you didn't believe his explanation, and he knew just who to take with him. Alex would be a little short on time, but as long as you didn't go into work early, he'd be able to make it.  
  
            "______, please be alright. Just wait for me and, like....don't do anything stupid.." Alex snatched his keys off the counter and rushed to the car, practically flying out of the driveway and starting towards Karen's house.  
  
            As soon as he saved you, Alex was going to kick you and Karen out of the attraction forever.  
  
\--  
  
            "Wh̶a͢t̷.̢ Th̷e ̡f͞uc͡k." Springtrap jolted awake, his spirit stuck in the suit again now that he was awake. All he could do was sit there in confusion and slow-building anger. Why the hell was that shadow in your dreams, and what had it told you?? If it gave away his identity, he was going to make those phantoms suffer. Again.  
            With a low grumble, the rabbit stood from his spot by the wall, his thoughts racing to try and fix the situation. He was lucky Shadow Bonnie hadn't killed him in the dream, otherwise he'd truly be dead then and his spirit wouldn't be able to return to his suit. However, the shadow was likely telling you all the things the phantoms couldn't, considering you had been shooting down their attempts to educate you one after another. He could only hope you were busy freaking out at the shadow's appearance rather than listening to it, but Springtrap highly doubted that's what happened. That puppet had used its _real_ trump card, and now the rabbit was losing again. How it got ahold of the shadow, he didn't know, but he had to think fast in order to keep you coming back.  
  
            .....That was it. He always tried to get you to _come back_ , and it was always an endless tug 'o war between him and the phantoms, but the solution to the problem was right in front of him. It was brilliant, really. So simple, yet incredibly effective. Springtrap chuckled lowly at his new plan, already thinking up ways to threaten Alex into bringing food and other things later on. After all, he didn't want to kill you...  
  
            ...but you'd need supplies if he was going to keep you here forever instead of letting you leave again.  
  
\--  
  
            You had woken with a start, slightly grateful for the interruption. Essie hadn't gotten the hang of Smash Bros, and as a result, was in the middle of throwing their controller at the television and flipping the coffee table. Thankfully, your body had decided that was enough sleep and you opened your eyes to an empty house on a quiet morning. Although the couch was comfy, it wasn't to the point where you weren't aching a little when you woke up, and you began to stretch to try and ease your sore muscles.  
            "Ughhnnn," a groan escaped your mouth as the aching slowly ebbed away. "God, that was still a good nap." It could hardly be called a nap, but whatever. All you knew was that it was time for a shower, some breakfast... And then a visit to the attraction for some answers.

 

            While the shower wasn't particularly eventful, it was a nice thing to wake up to, for even though Essie had rage quit towards the end of the dream, you were still quite relaxed. However, the more you thought of what awaited you at the attraction, the more a tiny ball of nervousness began to build in your stomach. It only got worse the more you drove, and you had to take a break and breath when you finally parked. It was a good thing you wore comfy clothes instead of your uniform.

 

            "Ok ______, you got this. Just go in, avoid Springtrap, talk to the phantoms and get out. Easy as pie." Deep down, you knew it would be easier said than done, but if you panicked at all, Springtrap would likely find you and ask why you were there. It'd probably be best to come up with some excuse in case he _did_ find you. Considering Seff and Spring were the same person, you wouldn't be able to lie about Essie, buuuuut.. If you played your cards right, it could appear as if they had spooked you and you came to tell off the phantoms for it. 'Some black rabbit thing came to me in a dream and really freaked me out, saying the phantoms sent him- it- them- whatever. So I came to tell them to just leave me alone.'

            Meh. It would have to do.

            You locked the car as you approached the entrance, taking another breath before going in and slowly leaning the door closed so as not to make any sound. Even though it was daytime, the eerie lighting still made the building quite unsettling, especially coupled with the danger of being discovered. However...you really needed to find out the truth of things, and although this probably wasn't the best way to go about it, this was all you could do.

 

            "Nowhere to go but forward.." With a ball of nerves in your stomach, you marched onward into the halls of the attraction. There wasn't any sound, save for the buzzing of lights and electrical equipment, and you were grateful to Alex for not adding any spooky music or whatever. It made it easier to listen for Springtrap's heavy footsteps, which you didn't hear at all. Maybe he was resting somewhere.

            You rounded a corner and jumped in surprise. Standing in the middle of the hall, strobe lights illuminating it's eerie mask, was the Puppet. The two of you stared at each other before the phantom turned and gracefully strode into another room. When it didn't come back after a few moments, you went out on a limb and decided to follow it, only to find it waiting for you in the corner. Before you could say anything, it walked off once more, and now you knew it _wanted_ you to follow. Ignoring the nervousness in your gut, you went after it once more, discovering the rest of the phantoms waiting in the next room over. A moment of silence passed as you found it kind of creepy that they knew you'd be coming. How they knew, you didn't know, but you'd get your answers either way.

 

            "....So..." Freddy spoke up, saving you from the awkward silence.

 

            "Јὗṩҭ ᾄṩќ ᾧђᾄҭ ẏὄὗ ᾗἔἔḋ ҭὄ ᾄṩќ. Ҭђἔ qὗἷƈќἔʀ ẏὄὗ łἔᾄvἔ ҭђἷṩ ῥłᾄƈἔ, ҭђἔ вἔҭҭἔʀ ἷҭ ᾧἷłł вἔ ғὄʀ ἔvἔʀẏὄᾗἔ." Well, that was one way to start things. They really wanted you out of this place, huh?

 

            "R-Right, uh..." Maybe a few confirmations, just to be sure. You weren't really sure what was real about Springtrap or Seff or whatever the hell his name was. "So, Seff. Is that even his real name?" Freddy nodded in confirmation.

 

            "Ἷҭ ἷṩ."

 

            "And Seff is the one inside that golden rabbit suit, right?" For some reason, the bear tilted his head in confusion. At the same time, the Puppet began staring at an interesting spot near the ceiling.

 

            "Ɠὄłḋἔᾗ? Ἷṩ ҭђᾄҭ ᾧђᾄҭ ƈὄłὄʀ ἷҭ ἷṩ?"

 

            "Yeah. It's a little rotten and kind of greenish now, but still gold."

 

            "Ὃђ. ᾋłł Ἷ ṩἔἔ ἷṩ ῥὗʀῥłἔ ἷᾗṩҭἔᾄḋ." You paused. Why on earth would they see purple instead of gold? Was Seff actually purple in reality?? Good god, you could not think of this right now. It was throwing you off track, and you only had so long until Spring-Seff found out you were here.

 

            "Ok, but is that him in there??" Foxy spoke up next, seeing as Freddy was still pondering the true color of the suit.

 

            "ᾋẏἔ, ҭђᾄҭ вἔ ђἷм ᾄ'ʀἷʛђҭ." You nodded, trying to think of another question. It came relatively easily, considering the biggest problem everyone kept saying was the danger Spring kept putting you in.

 

            "Alright.... You guys are the five missing children, Spring is aggressive, and I'm in danger when around him. He seems to like me, so why am I in danger? Who is he really?" Surprisingly, BB was the next to speak.

 

            "Ἤἔ'ṩ ᾄ вᾄḋ мᾄᾗ." Silence followed, and you expected him to say more, but nothing else was said.

 

            ".....Okaayyyy... But _why_ is he bad?" The phantoms shared a look between each other before Chica opened her beak.

 

            "Ἤἔ'ṩ ᾄ ƈʀἷмἷᾗᾄł, ______. Ẃђᾄҭ Ἷ мἔᾄᾗ вẏ ҭђᾄҭ ἷṩ, ὗђ.. Ṩἔғғ ἷṩ ҭђἔ ὄᾗἔ ᾧђὄ мὗʀḋἔʀἔḋ ὗṩ." .......What.

 

            "Ṩҭὗғғἔḋ ὗṩ ἷᾗ ҭђ' ṩὗἷҭṩ, ᾧἷʀἔṩ ᾄᾗ' вἔᾄмṩ ṩҭἷłł ἷᾗ 'ἔм. Ἷғ ҭђᾄҭ ḋἷḋᾗ'ҭ ќἷłł ὗṩ, ҭᾧᾄṩ ҭђ' ᾧὄὗᾗḋṩ ђἔ ʛᾄvἔ ὗṩ ҭђᾄҭ ḋἷḋ ἷҭ ғἷʀṩҭ." Your stomach lurched at the awful imagery and realization. You've been hanging with a murdere the entire time. That night where he almost choked you to death, Springtrap was honestly intent on killing you. Had you not brought that bat the second night...

            Alex. The guys who were blackmailing him must've known there was a spirit inside the suit, or at least that the five kids hadn't left yet, and that you would be at risk of dying. They all knew about the children, the missing night guards, and _who knows_ what else. How did you get yourself into this mess??

 

            "Ὃђ." You were snapped out of your thoughts by Freddy, who seemed to stand a bit taller. "...Ἤἔłłὄ ҭђἔʀἔ." Your heart stopped. It didn't take a genius to know who he was talking to. How had you not heard him walk up? Maybe it was when you were too wrapped up in your thoughts. Either way, the only thing left to do was to turn and face the new arrival.

            With a deep breath, you hesitantly turned, a familiar figure greeting you at the end of the hall. The same one you were hoping to avoid.

 

            Looks like you failed.

 

 

 

            "Wh͟a̡t ͞ a̢r͢e͟ y͝o̴u ͘do͏i͠ng, __͢____?̛"


	22. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh no.

            There was a moment where your brain blanked out, for the way Springtrap was standing tall made him look more intimidating than you remembered. Perhaps the lighting also contributed, but finally your brain kicked back in, and you remembered the fake excuse you'd come up with.

 

            "Some black rabbit thing came to me in a dream and really freaked me out, so I came to tell the phantoms to-" The rabbit held up a hand.

 

            "Let m̷e͡ ̧stop you ̡ri҉g̴h͡ţ ̸th̢ȩre." you shut up quickly, already knowing he wouldn't buy it when the first word had left your mouth. "The̶s͡e phant͢o͜m̛s ͢d͏on't̨ l͢o͝o͏k҉ ͜t̨he sl̵i̛g͟ht͝e͟s͏t͏ bi͜t ̛pu͞t ̧off ̴by̵ any̧ ͞a̷tt҉ȩm͡pt ͢t͡o͝ sc̴ol͢d͜ ̛t̶hęm͢, ҉and͠ ̸th̵e fa̢ct t̢hat ͠Fr̸e͜dd͞y͟ ̨is̢n̸'t ͏r̴u̵nn͏i͜n̛g̢ hi̡s mo͝u͞t͝h simpl͝y̡ pr͡o̷v̵e̸s ̴m͡y̨ ͝po͜i͞n̡t̵. _̵S̢o."_ He slowly strode forward, making his way over to you. "Teļl͢ me͠ ̴w҉ha͏t yo̶u̸'͢r̴e ͜ _rȩa̶l̕l͢y͝_ ̶h̸er͡e f̡or҉." When he stopped a half foot away, you were reminded how utterly tall he was compared to you, only increasing the intimidation factor as you shuffled awkwardly. He had completely disproved any excuse you had, and now you were having trouble thinking of a way out of this mess.

 

            "..I....uh......" Springtrap simply crossed his arms, an ear twitching impatiently.

 

            "C͢ome ̴on̴, _̡__͘_̷__.̷ ͢I'm al̸l ea̶r͏s." Nothing. Not even the phantoms could figure out how to fix this, for they were casting glancing towards each other while trying to think of something. Springtrap sighed heavily, shaking his head in disapproval. "Fi̢n͘e̵.͢ Let m̕e̡ ͞ţe̛ll ̸yo̡u̶ ͘what͘ I̡ t҉hi͜n̕k ͝is h̕a͏pp̴e͟ni̸n͏g.҉"

 

            "But-"

 

            "No, no̴, ̡d͜o̴n̕'t ̶sa̡y ͠a͢ny̨thi͟n͞g. ͢See̵,̵ ͏I thi͝nk̷ you͝ ca͞m̛e͟ he̕re ̡b̴e͢cau̷s̛e t͠ha̡t othe͘r ra̛b̢bit ҉t͝old y͢o͠u ̡w͝ho͡ ͢I w҉as, ̶a̡nd yo̡u ͠ca͞me҉ to ͜th͞e ph̨aņtoms ̧to͡ ̨f̢in̵d ơut ҉m͝orȩ ͢ab̕o̕u͠t m̢e͝. I̵t҉ ̕w҉a̶sn͡'҉t ̸enough ͢to͟ ̷knơw m̡y ͟r̛e̴al̡ ͠n͡a͠me, ̵ąn̕d͜ n҉o̷w͜ t͟hat Sh̕adow Bǫn͠nie has̸ ̴tol̕d͟ ͞yo͘u what's̵ ͏g̕o͜ing ҉o͟n,͟ y̢o͟u tr͘u̸s̢t tho҉s̕e ph͝a͟ntoms̨ ͞m̧ore ͏tha͢n̴ m̕e.͜ Is tha͏t ͠rig͞h̴t͢?͟" Shit. He was spot on.

 

            "....Uh......." Springtrap's voice lowered to a dangerous level.

 

            _"D͡on̸'t͝ ̶lie  ͟t͟o͜ m̶e, _͟_̛_̨_͝__͢"_

 

"UH.." You took a step back, not liking the sound, and thankfully, Freddy came up and put a protective hand on your shoulder.

 

            "Ŀἔᾄvἔ ђἔʀ ᾄłὄᾗἔ, Ṩἔғғ. Ṩђἔ ђᾄṩ ᾗὄҭђἷᾗʛ ҭὄ ḋὄ ᾧἷҭђ ҭђἷṩ ῥłᾄƈἔ, ᾄᾗḋ ᾄғҭἔʀ ҭђἷṩ, ṩђἔ'ṩ łἔᾄvἷᾗʛ."

 

            "HA! She ͞ha͡s e̵ve͝r͢y͠thing̷ ̡t͡o do̧ w̨ith ̨th͘is pla͞ce̸!̶! Don̨'̕t̶ yo̧u se͞e͢ ͡how̛ l͘i̶v͜e̛ly̛ t̡h̢i̕ngs ̢h̢a̵v̡ȩ ̴go̸t̷ten?̢! E̛v̕e̛r̶ ̡s҉in̡c҉e s҉he ͘a̶r̶rived͘,͡ w̵e̕'͠ve͏ ̶be̛en loc̷ked in ̸a c̷onstan̵t҉ ̢t̨u̡g ̷o̵' ͡wa̵r ̛o͠ver ͟h͡er͝, and͘ ͝it͝'s̢ ̧t̨he mo҉st̡ ̛f̴u͡n ͏I'̵ve̸ ҉h͜ad in de͝cad̨eş." Spring leaned in towards the  phantom, practically growling in his face. "So̴ ̡n͢o͢,̛ ̡Fr͘eddy.͡ ̡I͏'҉m n͞o̷t̨ ͏g̡o͏i͢ng͞ ̢awa͡y." His eyes flicked to you, and a sudden chill ran down your spine. "An̨d̵ n̷e̴it͏her͞ is̡ ̵sh҉e͠.̡" Freddy didn't move. If anything, he squared his shoulders and planted his feet.

            God, you hoped Spring didn't mean what you thought what he meant. You couldnt figure out how he knew what he did, but right now, things were getting worse. You just hoped no one got hurt, yourself included

 

            _"ϐᾄƈќ. Ȗῥ."_ The rabbit didn't move, and a very bad feeling was starting to build in the pit of your stomach.

 

            _"M̢a҉k̢e me."_ Immediately after, Freddy shoved Springtrap as hard as he could, successfully sending him back a few feet. The rabbit stumbled, but managed to stay on his feet.

            "O̡h̷..҉." He let out a low chuckle. "So ̸ţh̷at̵'s ͢hơw͜ ̨it is͏."

 

            "Ὓὄὗ'ʀἔ ᾗὄҭ ќἔἔῥἷᾗʛ ђἔʀ ђἔʀἔ. Ṩђἔ ḋὄἔṩᾗ'ҭ вἔłὄᾗʛ ἷᾗ ҭђἷṩ ῥłᾄƈἔ, ᾄᾗḋ-"

 

            "S͠ee,͠ that͞'҉ş y͘o̕ur͏ pr͡o̵bl̵e͘m ͝r̡igh͟t ͠th͢ere͞,̕ k̨id.͏ Y͜ou thin͡k̛ ͡I͏ act͏uall͏y car̡e! But ͞I'm͡ going to ̧g͝et̴ w͠h̡at ̵I w͘an̵t, o͝ne̵ way ǫr ̕a̷ņo̢t͏her͏,͠ s̨o ̷l̨et͟'͝s s̵ee͟ if ̨y͡ou c͠an s̢t͡op̵ ̶me.͞ You҉ ̢clearly͝ ҉d̕i͠d͏n̸'͡t ͘whe̡n̵ yo̵u͞ t͟r͠ap̛p̢ed ̷m͟e͡ in͢ h̕e͜re͞." You looked back to see what the other phantoms were up to, only to find them all gone. Were they up to something? It was clear this little skirmish was going to get worse by the minute, and you honestly just wanted to leave and never come back. Luckily, Freddy had the same idea.

 

            "______, ʛἔҭ ὄὗҭ ὄғ ђἔʀἔ. Ἷ'łł ḋἷṩҭʀᾄƈҭ ђἷм." You didn't have to be told twice. The instant Springtrap moved forward again, you bolted past him. He tried to turn and catch you, but Freddy tackled him to the wall before he could touch you.

 

            _"Kid,̡ i͟f̵ y̸ou do͠n'̵t͏ g͏et̸ ͘o̕ff̡,̵ ̴I'm̶ ̷go̧ņna-"_

 

            "Ẃђᾄҭ, ќἷłł мἔ? _Ἷ'м ᾄłʀἔᾄḋẏ ḋἔᾄḋ, Ṩἔғғ!"_

 

            "No.҉" The rabbit in question tightly gripped the sides of Freddy's face. _"I'm҉ g͜onn̶a͠ ̷rip̡ you̵r h͡ea͠d̷ ҉off͘. **Aga̵i҉n͞.** " _Springtrap managed to get a leg up, planted a foot on the bear's chest, and pulled. Although Freddy couldn't really feel any pain, he began rapidly punching and kicking Spring in an attempt to get him to stop, but the rabbit refused to let go. It took a few seconds, but with a low groan from the mechanics is Freddy's head, it was finally popped off and throw down the hallway. Freddy's body stumbled back, for now the bear couldn't see anything in front of him, eliciting a laugh from Springtrap.

            "G͝o͟od ̷l̶u͝ck ͠ge̷t̶t͢ing ͏tha͠t ͘back o̧n." The golden rabbit would have stayed to rub it in, but he had to hurry and catch you before you got to the exit. With a surprising amount of speed due to determination, Springtrap took off down the hall, quickly rounding a corner and hearing your footsteps. While he was surprised he had caught up so quickly, he wasn't about to let you get away, and pushed off the wall to go even faster.

            _There._ You were finally in sight. Springtrap let out another laugh as he began closing in on you, reaching out a hand to grab you before you could-

 

            _**"Ṩҭἔῥ ὄғғ!!"**_ Chica appeared out of nowhere and slugged the rabbit right in the face, sending him to the ground. The loud crash caused you to glance behind in fear, but Chica shouted at you for it. _"Ɖὄᾗ'ҭ ʝὗṩҭ ṩҭᾄᾗḋ ҭђἔʀἔ! Ɠὄ!!"_ With a grateful smile, you dashed off again.

            In reality, while it was a stupid thing to do, you had stopped running after Freddy tackled Spring, silently cheering for the bear and hoping he would win. Boy did you regret that when Spring began pulling on his head. It didn't take long for you to realize you'd have to run again, and before Freddy was taken out, you booked it down the hall again. That was why Spring had caught up so quickly, but thank whatever higher powers there were for Chica. She really saved you. Now it was time to get out.

 

            Springtrap didn't even say anything to the bird. With a low snarl, he launched himself at her, punching her with all his might. The poor chicken was sent reeling to the ground, just as he was a few seconds earlier. She was incredibly dizzy now, and couldn't make heads or tails of which way was up. Who knew the guy could his so hard??

            With a huff, Springtrap took off after you again, leaving Chica dazed on the ground. He'd catch you before you left, or all his hard work would be for nothing. There was no way he'd lose to those kids again.

 

            _"C̴o͜me̢ ̧o͞n͘,͡ ___̕__̵_͞!͝! ͟Ho̧w lon͝g̷ ̡ca͠n̷ y͡o͘u҉ su͟ŗvi̧v̕e?? Y̴ou know͟ I̷'͘m g̶o͢nn͜a҉ ͟c̨atc͟h ̸you!̸! Y͠ou ̕ca̕n'͝t hide ͢a̧ny̸th̡ing̢ ̵f͟rom ͝me!!̨ ̨Į ̸h̕ear̵d̕ ̵everyt҉hi͟n̷g ͟ţh͘r͜ough͟ t̨he c̶ameras̡!͜!"_ Your heart skipped a beat as you realized that's what the Puppet was staring at earlier. It knew Springtrap had heard, and it had probably told the rest of the phantoms to split up and slow him down. You would've thanked it, but once you got out of here, there was no way you'd step foot inside again. Your absence would have to be its thanks.

            With a fresh burst of hope you continued running in hopes to reach the office. You knew you were almost there when the giant window on the wall came into view. It was lucky that this place was so small, and a smile broke out on your face at the familiar sight. You were almost out! You would finally go home and forget this ever hap-

 

            _"G͞O͏T'C̴H҉A!"_ Your head was yanked back, and the momentum you'd built up came to a halt as you cried out in painful realization. Springtrap had a hold of your hair. "N̡o̧w͜ y̴ơu d͏idn't ̛rea͢l҉l̴y̷ ͏t̷hi͝nk I͞'d let y̧o̸ư get ̡a͢wa͞y͜ ͠so̕ e҉a͠s͠i͢ly̨,͟ d͠įd you?͘" You tried to pull away, but that only made your scalp feel like it was on fire. A few tears fell down your face as you pulled again, wishing for another phantom to appear and help you.

            Your prayers were answered as Mangle swooped down from the ceiling and crashed into Springtrap, her voice box screaming at maximum capacity.

 

            _"Ɠ̸ȒQ'҉Ẃ ̧ẂȒ̴Ẋ͟ҒḰ̶ ͘Ḱ̡Ἤ̢Ȗ̢!̧!!͞"_ Springtrap shouted in surprise, but still refused to let go, thrashing a hand around as Mangle bit and scratched at him. _"Ŀ Ẕ̷̷Ȓ̸Q͜'Ẃ҉ ̡̧̛Ὃ͝ἬẂ҉ ͏͏͏ϐ̵͏ȒẊ̸͡ ͝Ɲ̸Ἤ̸̡ἬṨ̨ ͘͡Ḱ̶͘Ἤ͡Ȗ͝ ̢Ḱ͘͞Ἤ̷Ȗ͜Ἤ̴!҉!̡̡!͘̕"_ There was no choice. He'd have to let go to get this phantom off. But first...

            Springtrap yanked on your hair once more, eliciting another pained from you. He let go, but the fire in your scalp sent you to your knees instead. Springtrap continued grappling with Mangle, desperately trying to get her teeth off his ear, when a voice called out to you.

 

            "Ὃvἔʀ ђἔʀἔ! Ҭђἷṩ ᾧᾄẏ!" Through a haze of tears, you could barely make out BB at the end of the hall. It took much more effort than you would have liked, but you were able to start crawling towards the small phantom, one hand trying to massage the pain away in your scalp. Unfortunately, Springtrap was able to get a grip on Mangle's good eye and immediately ripped it out, throwing it across the hall the same way he did with Freddy's head. The phantom screamed in agony, writhing in pain as Springtrap grabbed one of her legs and threw her down. With a growl, he began stalking towards your small form, knowing for a fact that he would reach you before you got to the door. Instead, BB motioned you into the office, and you followed without question, hoping the phantoms had a plan.

 

            "N̕owhe̷re ̷l̕eft to̷ r̨u͟n̡, ̢L̸i͘t̸t͟le̵ B͡i͠rd͘.̡" Springtrap rounded the corner once more, looming over you in the doorway as you stated up at him with fearful eyes. A disgusted feeling churned in your gut at the nickname, but the impending doom in the doorway kept you from saying anything as Springtrap stepped into the office.

            Foxy launched himself at the rabbit, his hook digging into an arm as he took Springtrap to the ground with him. He screeched at the murderer, tearing at him with all his might before shouting something at you.

 

            _"Ҭђ' vἔᾗҭṩ!! Ɠὄ ᾗὄᾧ!!"_  Unfortunately, Springtrap had expected the attack and was able to grab Foxy's jaw, twisting and breaking it further before throwing the fox into the hall. You yelped in fear and crawled into the vent a few feet away, the metal grating conveniently removed already. The crawling position slowed you down some, but what you saw next renewed the hope in you heart. The Puppet was waiting in the vent, a hand outstretched towards you. There was no hesitation as you crawled forward and grabbed it, the phantom's grip tightening around yours.

            And then there was a beep from the office.

            Your eyes widened in fear, and your other hand gripped the Puppet's. Something grabbed your ankle.

 

            _"No."_ The phantom simply hung it's head.

 

            "..Ἷ'м ṩὄ ṩὄʀʀẏ...." The hand on your ankle pulled, and you were ripped from the Puppet's grasp as it began fading into thin air.

 

            _**"NO!!"**_ Springtrap pulled you from the vent and immediately grabbed your arm, lifting you up from the ground with a triumphant chuckle.

 

            "I'͜m ͝no̢t ͠sţup͏id͘,͘ _____̛_͡.̷ I ͏knew͞ ̛tha͞t͡ ͝t͢hi͢ng̢ ̵wa͝s i̷n th̷e̶r͝e.̴ ̢Th͘a͟t͢'s ̸why I re̶s͠e͟t̨ t̶he҉ v͏e̴n̶til̸a̡ti̸o̡n̶." He pulled you into something akin to a hug(if an arm around your throat counted as a hug), pressing your back into his chest with a sigh. "Bu̢t̸ now͏ th҉e̛ ҉pa̶r̨ty͝'s ҉ov̢er.͝ ͠It's ju҉s҉t y͏ou a͜nd̨ me, ͠_̴__͟__͝.̨" Tears fell down your face like a waterfall, and you let out a choked sob. You were almost there. _You were almost there. Wasn't there another way?? **That couldn't be it!!**_

            "A̴w҉,̢ ̢do͞n̶'t͢ b̡e͜ ̵li̛k͢e͡ th͘a͞t.̕ I̷t͏ ̕w͞on'̛t̡ ̵b͘e ̷s͏o b͞a͞d͡! ͜I may be͏ a mur̨d̶e̷re͘r҉, ̵b͞ųt͘ I hav̴e ҉no̧ inte͘ntio̡ns o̷f ͡ki͝lli҉n͜g ̴y͝o̕u." Those words didn't help. You didn't want to be trapped here with a dead body watching your every move. You wanted to go home. You wanted to talk to your parents and tell them you loved them. You wanted to tell Alex you'd be okay. You wanted to _leave._

            With a sharp breath, you used all your body weight to try and pull away from the rabbit. It didn't work. He only tightened his grip, and you were made painfully aware of the arm around your neck.

            "Strug͞g̷lin̕g͞ on҉ly͜ m̕a͞k͘es͜ me̢ h͠o̷l̡d ͘on̡ mo͠r̡e͟, ͘__̕__͟__.͘ I̡ ͝w͠ouldn'͞t su̡gg҉es͡t̢ ҉d͘oi͞n̴g t̷ha̧t.̧ I ̵do̢n'̨t ͏want̵ to͏ ̷h͏u͠r̴t̛ you.͘" Somehow, you doubted that. However, air was starting to get a little tight, and you couldn't really speak to tell him this, so you did the only thing you could do. You clawed at his arm with both hands, realizing your mistake when he held tighter, dark spots quickly closing in from your peripheral vision.

            "Did͏n't͏ yo̷u he̴ar ͘w͢ha͟t҉ I̸ s͏a҉id?̨ ͜S̵to̵p doing̢ tha͡t,͘ _͝_̵__̡__̢.̴" It was kind of hard not to when there was no longer any air flowing to your lungs. It was only natural for someone to flail and kick in that situation, and you did just that, trying to stomp Springtrap's foot and elbow his ribs.

 

            _"S̡to̸p̨."_ You couldn't. Your body was actu on its own. You couldn't see. You couldn't breath. It only got worse as Springtrap continued tightening his hold.

 

            And for a brief moment, you felt bliss.

 

            You knew what was coming.

 

 

 

            " __̴_̛__̷__. ͟I̴ şai̡d̸-̶"_

 

 

 

            _**SNAP.**_

 

 

 

 

 

 

            "...̵___̨_̸__..͠?"


	23. A Serious Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex arrives.

            Time passed. Alex eventually arrived at the attraction with Karen in tow, the two rushing inside when they spotted your car. It hadn't taken long to notice something was wrong when you wouldn't reply to their yelling, but when the two finally reached the office, everything was silent. What else could they do but stare in horror at the scene in front of them?

 

            A decrepit animatronic was standing above your body, your neck at an unnatural angle that clearly announced your death.

 

            Karen backed up against the wall almost immediately, quickly becoming overwhelmed and fainting due to sheer terror, sliding down the wall and miraculously not getting too banged up when she hit the ground. Her best friend was dead, and the thing with a body in it had killed her. She couldn't process it.

            Alex on other hand simply looked on in horror, tears filling his eyes the longer he stared. It was all his fault. He was the one who asked you to work here, and now you were dead because of him. Alex fell to his knees, his world collapsing around him as the rabbit finally moved. He didn't even register the animatronic as it walked around him and stalked off into the attraction. Alex's mind raced, trying to keep up with everything he felt as he finally wondered how he would fix this. There was no way he could move you. He just couldn't do it. He doubted he'd even be able to run this attraction anymore. And what about Karen? She had already seen the worst of it and didn't even know the whole story. Surely those Fazbear people would do something about her. Nothing would end well.

            Alex couldn't think of a way out. His emotions only grew more and more as panic and despair finally overtook him and left him with only one thing to do. Alex began crying. He cried for Karen, who didn't need to be dragged into this. He cried for the children who had tried to warn him and were likely still trapped here. He cried for you. The one he had trusted most to keep his secret, which you had taken to an early grave you didn't deserve.

 

            There was nothing more he could do.

 

            Everything was over.

 

 ***

 

            It would be close to a month until the attraction would open to the public. The Fazbear family took care of the body and generously compensated Karen in exchange for her not saying anything about what happened. She took the money and moved immediately after, wanting to forget it ever happened.

            She wouldn't.

 

            Alex was left to grieve, his family not knowing the reason for his constant despair. They never knew they were in danger, and Alex would keep it that way. He owed it to you to keep them safe, along with anyone else the attraction dragged into the mix. Alex would come to hire a new Night Guard, one by the name of Evan, and warn him of the rabbit early on before the boy started his shift. He would continue to have nightmares about your dead body begging him to get you out of the attraction, but he battled them with the hope that his advice would keep Evan safe. Alex would do everything in his power to make sure it would never happen again. All for you.

            While the Fazbear family didn't like it, they made sure the kid wouldn't say anything as long as Alex didn't either. They had already come this far, and they wouldn't let anyone dredge up any more of their past.

 

 

            And if a few more people had to go missing, then so be it.


	24. Evan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new Night Guard where the old one should be.

            _"Why did I agree to this job?!"_ Evan cursed himself for the fifth time that night. It was currently his third shift at Fazbear's Fright, and by now, the novelty of working there had worn off and was replaced by fear.

            So far, the rabbit had only gotten to the office twice. Evan was able to keep it at bay with the noise played by the exit until the clock hit six, but he doubted he'd get lucky a third time. Right now, the rabbit was over by the video game consoles, staring into the camera with a thirst for blood. It was getting a little harder to breath, and the night guard was about to pop over to the maintenance panel to fix the ventilation.

            And then the cameras shut down.

            Evan heard something crawl into the vents, along with a set of footsteps, but he knew he couldn't trust any sounds due to the ventilation error. He sealed the closest vent and played a noise in the exact spot the rabbit had been earlier, praying he had gotten the right place. When he turned to reset the system, the poor boy nearly had a heart attack.

            Standing right next to him, glowing white eyes boring into his own, was a woman. She looked as if she had been charred in a fire, but Evan could make out a plain set of jeans and a shirt, as if she was going out to the store or something. This absolutely terrified him, and Evan was about to scream when the woman raised her hands in an unaggressive manner.

 

            "Ṩҭᾄẏ ƈᾄłм, ṩҭᾄẏ ƈᾄłм. Ἷ'м ђἔʀἔ ҭὄ ђἔłῥ ẏὄὗ." Evan paused. Was this a new phantom? "Ɖὄᾗ'ҭ ʀἔṩἔҭ ҭђἔ vἔᾗҭṩ. Ҭᾄќἔ ƈᾄʀἔ ὄғ ҭђἔ ƈᾄмἔʀᾄṩ, ҭђἔᾗ ῥłᾄẏ ᾄ ᾗὄἷṩἔ ἷᾗ ҭђἔ ђᾄłł вẏ ҭђἔ Ғὄẋẏ ђἔᾄḋ." The night guard weighed his options before deciding he had nothing to lose and reset the cameras, following the phantoms instructions with the noise. When the cameras came back on, the woman leaned in to view them alongside him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

            "Ἷҭ'ṩ ὄќᾄẏ. Ҭђἔ ὄҭђἔʀ ῥђᾄᾗҭὄмṩ ᾧὄᾗ'ҭ вὄҭђἔʀ ẏὄὗ ᾧђἷłἔ Ἷ'м ђἔʀἔ. Ɠὄ ᾄђἔᾄḋ ᾄᾗḋ ῥłᾄẏ ᾄ ᾗὄἷṩἔ ἷᾗ ҭђἔ ᾗἔẋҭ ʀὄὄм." Evan followed her instructions, wondering exactly who she was and why she was helping him. If she was a phantom, shouldn't she be trying to distract him so the rabbit could get him?

 

            "W-Who are you..?" Her white eyes flicked over to him.

 

            "Ṃẏ ᾗᾄмἔ ἷṩ ______."

 

\--

 

            The night went smoothly. Evan was able to keep the rabbit at bay with ______'s help, and he thanked her for keeping him safe. When asked why she was here, she simply told him she had worked there before he had. Evan knew what that insinuated, and while he was very sad for her, he was still grateful for her help. He told her how he wasn't able to back out of the job and how his boss was grieving over someone he'd lost, and he was able to piece together that she was the reason for all the grief.

            She only had one request. Don't tell Alex. Of course he would follow it, especially since she had saved his life.

            Evan was able to go home to his family and immediately told them he loved them, ______'s voice still ringing in his head. At the same time, the phantoms in the attraction gathered around once more with their new addition and continues to apologize to ______.

            She wasn't mad. Just glad that everyone was okay. It had taken time for Freddy and Mangle to be put back together, but the Puppet had its ways, and the two were now fully functioning again. The only casualty was ______. Everyone always looked at her with so much sadness and regret, but she didn't blame them. They tried their best. It wasn't their fault, and no one could have known her soul would be trapped there as well. If anything, it was Springtrap's fault.

            He didn't know she was at the attraction still, and she aimed to keep it that way. He acted dour and rarely spoke anymore, but ______ believed he didn't feel bad at all. However, she knew just the way to get back at him. Every night, she would help Evan keep Springtrap away and save another soul from being trapped at the attraction. He would never reach the Night Guard if she could help it. The cause filled her with fiery determination, and she swore to keep everyone safe from Springtrap's grasp.

 

            No one would ever experience what she had been through.

 

            And if she had to do this for eternity, well...

 

 

 

 

            So be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, tadaaaaa!! It's over!! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!
> 
> Let me say that this whole story was journey, and although I did not get to share it with the likes of AO3, I look forward to sharing other journey's with you, so keep an eye out for more! Also, there are two more Fnaf X Reader stories I have planned, one of which I'm currently in the middle of writing, and I hope you'll give those a look too! Thank you for taking the time to look over The Main Attraction, and I hope you had a wonderful time reading it! <3


	25. A Change of Fate...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something changes.

            "N̕owhe̷re ̷l̕eft to̷ r̨u͟n̡, ̢L̸i͘t̸t͟le̵ B͡i͠rd͘.̡" Springtrap rounded the corner once more, looming over you in the doorway as you stared up at him with fearful eyes. A disgusted feeling churned in your gut at the nickname, but the impending doom in the doorway kept you from saying anything as Springtrap stepped into the office.

            Foxy launched himself at the rabbit, his hook digging into an arm as he took Springtrap to the ground with him. He screeched at the murderer, tearing at him with all his might before shouting something at you.

 

            _"Ҭђ' v_ ἔᾗ _ҭṩ!!_ Ɠὄ ᾗὄᾧ _!!"_ Unfortunately, Springtrap had expected the attack and was able to grab Foxy's jaw, twisting and breaking it further before throwing the fox into the hall. You yelped in fear and crawled into the vent a few feet away, the metal grating conveniently removed already. The crawling position slowed you down some, but what you saw next renewed the hope in you heart. The Puppet was waiting in the vent, a hand outstretched towards you. There was no hesitation as you crawled forward and grabbed it, the phantom's grip tightening around yours.

            And then there was a beep from the office.

            Your eyes widened in fear, and your other hand gripped the Puppet's. Something grabbed your ankle.

 

            _"No."_ The phantom simply hung it's head.

 

            "..Ἷ'м ṩὄ ṩὄʀʀẏ...." The hand on your ankle pulled, and you were ripped from the Puppet's grasp as it began fading into thin air.

 

            **"NO!!"** Springtrap pulled you from the vent and immediately grabbed your arm, lifting you up from the ground with a triumphant chuckle.

 

            "I'͜m ͝no̢t ͠sţup͏id͘,͘ _____̛_͡.̷ I ͏knew͞ ̛tha͞t͡ ͝t͢hi͢ng̢ ̵wa͝s i̷n th̷e̶r͝e.̴ ̢Th͘a͟t͢'s ̸why I re̶s͠e͟t̨ t̶he҉ v͏e̴n̶til̸a̡ti̸o̡n̶." He pulled you into something akin to a hug(if an arm around your throat counted as a hug), pressing your back into his chest with a sigh. "Bu̢t̸ now͏ th҉e̛ ҉pa̶r̨ty͝'s ҉ov̢er.͝ ͠It's ju҉s҉t y͏ou a͜nd̨ me, ͠_̴__͟__͝.̨" Tears fell down your face like a waterfall, and you let out a choked sob. You were almost there. _You were almost there. Wasn't there another way??_ _That couldn't be it!!_

            "A̴w҉,̢ ̢do͞n̶'t͢ b̡e͜ ̵li̛k͢e͡ th͘a͞t.̕ I̷t͏ ̕w͞on'̛t̡ ̵b͘e ̷s͏o b͞a͞d͡! ͜I may be͏ a mur̨d̶e̷re͘r҉, ̵b͞ųt͘ I hav̴e ҉no̧ inte͘ntio̡n o̷f ͡ki͝lli҉n͜g ̴y͝o̕u." Those words didn't help. You didn't want to be trapped here with a dead body watching your every move. You wanted to go home. You wanted to talk to your parents and tell them you loved them. You wanted to tell Alex you'd be okay. You wanted to _leave._

            Reality came crashing in on you, and the weight of it all was too much to bear. Springtrap wouldn’t be letting go, and you knew any attempts at escaping his grasp could result in death, so you did the only thing you could think of. With a hopeless sob, you slumped down in defeat, not even bothering to try and break Springtrap’s hold as you let out every ounce of sadness inside. Tears overflowed, and instead of just plain crying, you had now progressed to gross sobbing, having resigned to just letting your captor hold you. He was right. It was over now. There was nowhere to run, and no way to escape, so there was no use fighting anymore. He had won.

 

            To your surprise, the rabbit loosened his hold on you a little and lifted a hand to gently pet your hair. “Sh̵h..̡ ̷It’͜s͏ ̴o̡kay͟, I͘ ̛w̸on’͝t ͡h͠urt yo̵u...” He adjusted the arm around your throat, moving it so that it was around your waist instead. “Y҉o͘u’͞re o͜ka͜y..͜. Ever̡yţhi̡ng̕ ̷i͞s͞ o̢k̷a͜y.̷.͞.” It was incredibly strange how Springtrap was being so gentle after all the shit he just pulled, but you couldn’t care less as you let out all the feelings of despair welling up inside. All the fear and stress from the past week overflowed, and Springtrap continued to whisper comforting words in your ear as you let it all out.

            You weren’t really sure how long you spent crying, but at some point, the two of you had sunk down to the ground and were now sitting on the cold tile. As your cries lessened in volume, Springtrap gently turned you around to face him, placing his hands on your shoulders in an attempt at a comforting gesture. This wasn’t exactly his forte.

 

        “D̴o͘ yo͢u̴ ̶f͟eel ͟any͞ b̛et҉te͡r?” A few sniffles, then a small nod. You definitely didn’t feel as horrible now, but there was still the fact that Springtrap had caught you. That was certainly something you weren’t happy about, and it was very obvious to the rabbit himself. “___͟__̷_, ͝ļook ͜at ͜me̛.͏” You didn’t listen. Instead, you wiped the remaining tears from your face and stared down at your lap, defeat practically radiating off of you. _“I_ _̴_ ___s̨_ _̵_ _a_ _̡͟_ _҉_ _i_ _̷͢͝_ _d_ _̷̴_ _-_ _͝_ _”_ The irritation in his voice made you flinch, and the rabbit paused. After a moment, he removed a hand from your shoulder and used it to tilt your chin upwards, staring down into your eyes as he forced you to look at him. “.̕.̴.̸Y̕ou’re a͝f͞rai̴d of ͏m̨e. ̧R̵i̕gh̸t?̷” There was no answer, but he didn’t need one. He could see it in your eyes. However, he wanted you to admit it, and he wouldn’t accept your silence. “S͡ay̷ ͘it. ̢You’҉r̸e ̧ąf̡r͜a͝id ͜of̕ ̷m̵e͝, ͏ąren’t ͟yo͠u? I ca̴n se̴e ҉it͡.” Not wanting to anger him any further, you nodded ever so slightly.

 

            “Y-Yes...” Springtrap sighed and brought a hand to his face. Great. He had managed to catch you, but after that whole fiasco back in the hallways, there was no doubt in his mind that you believed he would hurt you. He didn’t _want_ to hurt you, but there had been no other way for him to make you stay other than using force, and now he had lost the trust you placed in him. He had royally fucked up.

 

            Springtrap brought the hand down from his face and looked back at you, only to see you still gazing at him in fear. He narrowed his eyes, not liking the way you were staring at him. “Do̡n͠’t͜ ̢look at̶ ͠m͞e ͞like̴ th͏at.” The instant the words left his mouth, you dropped your gaze to the floor. This made him raise his voice a little in frustration _. “D_ _̴_ _amn_ _̸_ _̡_ _it,_ _͞_ _n_ _͢_ _o_ _͡_ _,_ _͘_ _̶_ _that’_ _̡_ _s_ _҉_ _n_ __ _ot_ _͟_ _͝_ _wh_ _̷_ _a_ _͡_ _t_ _͝_ _I_ _̶_ _-_ _̸_ _”_ Once again, his tone of voice made you flinch and shut your eyes, for you fully expected the worst possible outcome. Springtrap went silent in response. It was clear that he would have to be very careful with you, but although he _hated_ the thought of that, he didn’t want you constantly preparing yourself for death. With another sigh, he tilted your chin back up again, trying to give you the softest gaze he could.

 

            “I͟ ͢mea̢n͏t҉..҉.̢ ̸Don̕’t͘ ̡l̸ook ̡at me͘ aş Sp͞ri͠n̛ģtr͜ap.͟ Loo͝ķ at ̶me ҉as̨ Se̶ff. Re͝memb̵e̷r͢ tho͘se ̶fun ti͡m̷e͡s ̵we͢ had ͏t͝o͘g̷e̡th͞er i͞n̢ ̢y̸our҉ dre̡am҉s?͠ ̕How̡ ͜I ̶t͝o͠ok̸ y͠o͜u̷ t̴o ͏Şix F̕la̕g̵s ̡a͝n͡d̛ ͝we̸nt͞ rolle҉r ska̸t͠i̷n̛g wi҉th͠ ̨yo͠u?͜” This seemed to be working. A little bit of fear left your face as you nodded, but it was still evident that you hadn’t lowered your guard. “We͟ ̡ca̷n͝ st͏i͝l̡l̢ ha͜v͢e͜ f҉ųn҉,͞ ͢y͡o҉u̷ and͢ I. ̧Yo̶u’l̢l ͝s͟ee̶.̴ ҉It’̛ll̵ al̶l w̸or̴k o̡u̡t.” He cupped a hand to your cheek and used the other to move a strand of hair behind your ear. “Į ̕c͏a͘n̨’t l͟e̵t̴ ̶y̢ou̢ leav̡ę, ҉but͡ I p͏romi̴se͜ I̷ w̧o͡n̢’͞ţ hurt yo͠u. ͟I ̕j͜us̕t w̧an͘t thing͡s t̷o̵ ͏g̸o back̵ ͘t̡o͢ t̛he ͘wa͜y̧ t̵he͏y ̶we̕re ̨b͢e̵tw̷ee̡n ̧u͞s.” The rabbit tilted his head in earnest, gently running his thumb over your cheek. “W̛oul̛dn’͠t ̕you͞ ҉li͠k̸e͟ ͜t͜hat? T͜o ̧j͡ust͟ t͢al͞k a͠nd̷ ͡be͞ f̴r̸i̶e̵nds ̴aga̧i̡n͠?”

            Silence. You stared back at Springtrap, desperately searching for a different way out, but seeing as he had already caught you, your efforts were hopeless. The only way out was the one he was currently offering. _Did_ you want to go back to those days? Where you could just hang out with Seff as a friend and didn’t have to worry about being murdered by him? Absolutely. There was nothing you would have like more than to just forget everything that happened and go back to the way things used to be. Just the thought of it made your lip tremble, and you could feel tears welling up in your eyes again. You wanted so badly to return to the past that it actually hurt, and you nodded at Springtrap as the tears started to fall once more. You wanted things to be good between you two again, and for a moment, it really felt like that as he pulled you close and wrapped his arms around you in a hug, rubbing gentle circles into your back as your shoulders shook with the force of your crying. If you closed your eyes and pretended hard enough, you could imagine you hadn’t just been chased down by the murderer of five children, and were instead being comforted by the purple guard you loved seeing in your dreams so much.

 

            “T̷he͢r̨e there,̨ ͢i̧t̸’s a̸lr͢i̴ght̢.͝ ͜I̡’ve̛ g̸ot̨ ͡y̢o̶u̕.҉” Springtrap continued to hold you, providing whatever comfort he could as you cried into his chest. This wasn’t the way he would have liked things to end, but at least now he knew that deep down, you still wanted to be together. Maybe you would even smile at him the way you used to eventually. However, he has more pressing matters to deal with before that could happen. “I’͜ll̢ ͞t҉ak̴e ͝car̸e͏ of e̡v͏ȩr͏y̶thi̸ng̷.͠ ͡Ju҉st ̶ļea̡v̴e ͏it ͢t̡o ͠me̴..̴.͟”

            In the end, he had given you a reason to be afraid of him, but at least now he could keep you here with him. He would tend to everything you’d need; food, water, even entertainment when he visited your dreams again. It would take some threats towards Alex to get the necessary items that would keep you alive, but that wouldn’t be a problem. All that mattered was that you were here with him. As long as you were by his side, things would be okay.

 

 

 

 

            He wouldn’t let _anything_ happen to his Little Bird...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I'm so sorry, but this was actually supposed to be posted on Christmas?? I just had my brother and nephews come over at the last second though, and then my dad had to have some operation done at the hospital, and then New Years came up and, ugh...
> 
> Anyway! I didn't have a very good Christmas, but a friend of mine gave me an idea to write a (sort of) fluffy alternate ending to The Main Attraction, so...here we are! I never planned for the reader to survive this story, but I managed to switch things up just enough for this to happen, so hopefully this lifts your spirits a bit! Thank you, and have a wonderful day! <3


End file.
